Dark Alliance
by SkyeFox
Summary: Ancient beings are starting to rise all over the place. Races long thought gone from the world. Just how will this affect the war between Carpathians and Xavier? Only time will tell. A number of OC's from several imagined races...
1. Chapter 1

There are three domains in this world. Water. Air. Earth. Three great realms all with their own ancient races and myths. And yet it has been so long since these ancients walked, flew, and swum among humans. Death and misery had taken its toll and the ancient ones had retreated to their places of safety. But an oath was sworn many eons ago. Should darkness ever seek to overtake the serenity of this world, they would fight back. An ancient alliance made in blood and completely unbreakable. The time is long since overdue.

When the blood of Daratrazanoff and Dubrinsky melded together to destroy a horde of vampires set upon them by Xavier, they activated an ancient compulsion. One that dwelled in their very blood since before their father's father's time. Only in great desperation could such a power be unleashed. And only in such desperation could the call be issued. The call has been made…The Ancient Council has begun to rise…

~~~*~~~

The mountainside crumbled slightly. All of the recent storms and slight quakes had dislodged the ancient stones that were gripped between the roots of various plants. The earth shifted again and an unnatural piece of stone thrust out into the air. It was sharp and perfectly ninety degrees; like a corner.

Lightening slashed through the sky, striking the corner with unnatural precision. The stone shattered slightly, leaving only enough room for a mouse to squeeze through, but it was enough. Mist streamed from the hole and almost instantly formed a column on top of the cliff.

A woman with long black hair twisted up into an intricate knot stepped out of the mist. She wore an ancient dress of red drapery held to her body with golden braids and revealed smooth, pale-as-the-moon, skin. Her dark eyes studied the landscape carefully. In the distance she could see a town. Her eyebrow shot up at the location, it was rather close to where her old home used to be. Doubtless the building no longer stood but still…it struck her as rather ironic.

She scented the wind. Only by two powerful bloodlines linking in desperation to fight off darkness could she have been awakened. Mentally she reached for the others and found they had not yet woken. She must have been closest then. _Karpatii _blood must have united then, how long ago she could not tell. Only that it had happened.

Hunger clawed at her. She had been so long without feeding. It wasn't remotely healthy. Two humans were nearby. Camping. She called to them a siren's call impossible to resist. The men started to stumble her way, a horrible racket but unavoidable.

If this threat was great enough to call to the Council then it was cause to worry. She knew that she had rested between her own people and the roosts of the Avariels on the other side of the mountains and yet…she could not feel their touch in the wind. She frowned; it was unsettling to say the least. Had they moved to more secluded ranges? How much more secluded could one get?

The humans stumbled forward; two males both wearing an obnoxious amount of some fabric she identified through their minds as _flannel. _She beckoned to the first and he came without hesitation. She nearly drained both of them in a matter of a few minutes.She was still hungry but she could do with the amount she had. She had to investigate this new world. She would start with these campers. She guided them back to their campsite, picking information out of their mind until she had exhausted the information that she could find. They weren't vastly educated men but filling in the gaps of her last memories to their first was quite an effort. Especially as she tried to leap the language 'advances' if they could really be called that.

She lowered the two men to their bedding and started back toward the cliff. She would fly down to the village and continue to figure out what exactly had caused her to waken. Her sandals made no noise as she crossed over logs and twigs. She was silent as a wraith and if she chose just as deadly.

She could feel _Karpatii _moving to investigate her lightening strike. She smiled a bit. Let them investigate; they'd never find her unless she chose it. Suddenly she stopped mid-stride. "_Powers that be…" _she breathed in the ancient language. She must be the oldest thing on the face of the planet. She felt so….old didn't even cover it. She was obscenely old. "_Good thing I don't age." _She grumbled to herself as she dispersed into mist and gently rolled down the cliff towards the town.

Several birds of prey that weren't birds at all swooped down and landed in branches of trees as she moved past in a completely natural fashion. Unfortunately this meant that she was still partially there when the birds started to take a different form. Men with dark hair and chiseled features. If she had a face she'd have smiled at them. Her _Karpatii _were still very much alive it would seem.

But still, it should not have been that easy to slip past them. They had lost their edge over the ages. She would have to remind them of it. Putting it out of her mind for the moment she sent her senses flaring across once familiar forests. So much had changed while she slept. And yet here and there she could recognize a rock formation or river that used to run a little shallower than it did now.

After a while the mist finally rolled over the town and she reformed in the shadows, making certain to mask her presence. It was a good thing, she found out a moment later, nobody here dressed like she was used to. Nobody wore the tunics and drapes that she was familiar with. Looking down at her own clothes she frowned a bit. Until she found something she liked she would have to deal with her current attire.

She called a few more men over to feed from, draining three to nearly the same quivering state as the two campers earlier. She had been hungrier than she thought, though when you're asleep for thousands of years she supposed it was understandable.

Crossing the road she entered a larger bustling building as a chilly breeze from the constantly opening door. Once inside she recognized the building as an inn. Standing in the corner she scanned mind after mind, absorbing information like a sponge. The innkeeper and her family seemed to have barriers though; ones place by a _Karpatii. _Under protection most likely. She didn't bother trying to get through the barriers; she was searching for basic information.

Once she was certain she knew the language and had grasped most of the customs of this new age she went back outside and clothed herself in more modern garb. A pair of black _jeans_ that she had found many _tourists_ wore (whatever a tourist was) and a rather old fashioned crimson blouse without sleeves and a bit of gold embroidery around the ribbed waist. She conjured herself a few large bags and grabbed them as she reentered the inn, this time completely visible.

She walked up to the innkeeper and gave a beguiling smile. "Hello there. I'd like to get a room if I could."

The innkeeper practically beamed back. "Of course dear! How long will you be staying?"

The ancient made a show of sighing, "Oh, I'm not at all certain…my family was original from this area a _long _time ago and I wanted to get back to my roots. Not that I really know what those roots are of course! I didn't much plan ahead I'm afraid. Spur of the moment as it were."

"I understand perfectly, my dear. My name's Slavica, if you need anything just be sure to ask." She said rooting around in a drawer until she retrieved a small brass key. "Room 3 is very nice."

"I'm sure it will be lovely."

"I'm sorry I didn't catch the name?" Slavica said.

"Oh! I'm sorry, what terrible manners of me. My name is Phai…Phai….Drake." She said, struggling for a moment to come up with a suitable last name. She had never had the need to use one before.

"Phai? That's a rather old name isn't it?" Slavica asked curiously.

Phai smiled kindly. "Very old…it's a family name or so I was told."

"Far be it from me to say anything about old families and their names." Slavica said with a laugh. "Come, Ms. Drake I'll show you to your room. My husband will carry your bags up for you don't worry about them."

"Very well." Phai said as she followed the kindly old lady up the stairs. It took minimal effort to make sure the bags were appropriately heavy so that Slavica's husband would not notice anything odd about them.

* * *

**Where did this come from? I have no bloody idea. Perhaps my constant musings on what other races there were besides Wizards, Carpathians, Jaguars, and Lycanthropes. They did say there were many that had died out...well maybe the Carpathians aren't the only ones in hiding. But it is a continuation of my story Dragon Blooded where Phai made her first appearance. Review if you want me to continue if you don't well...I'll just let it go at this...**


	2. Chapter 2

~~~*~~~

Deep in the jungle a cave, long ago sealed shut, began to tremble. The boulders that had blocked entrance and exit shook before falling away to reveal a small opening. Inside a dais sealed behind a wall of glittering light sat in the middle of the room. Ancient carvings decorated the roughly hewn walls while cave mosses clung to the ground. A few bubbling pools of water were scattered around the room, heated by volcanoes far beneath the surface.

The light that blocked the dais from view flickered before fading completely. A large cat blinked large yellow eyes and yawned widely. A slight roar echoing from its throat as he showed his fangs. He uncurled from his sleeping position and stretched languidly. It had been so long since he was awake his mind was a bit sluggish. Unlike the _Karpatii _he was not so quick to rise.

A flicker of recognition entered his mind. _Phai…why am I not surprised to find you up already? _He asked his friend in a distant land.

He could hear the amusement in her reply. _I'm sure I don't know, Leif. But you are the second up if it makes you feel better._

_Not really…I could have slept longer. I was having a lovely dream about chasing a parrot. _He informed as he silently padded across the moss before squeezing his bulk through the narrow opening.

_I'm sure it was most fascinating. _Phai said flatly.

_Of course it was. _Leif responded. _I do so hate parrots…such loud, obnoxious birds._

_I know a few people who could relay the same opinion about you. _Phai pointed out as the Jaguar slid through the low-growing, lush, vegetation of the jungle.

_Yes, but who cares about their opinion. I'm wonderful the way I am. _Leif replied cockily. He paused as he scented the wind. There were only a few Jaguars nearby but strangely the scent of the cats weren't nearly as strong as he would have thought. There were also a few _Karpatii _several miles away. He could feel their mental scans race across the jungle. Leif was certain to keep his mental patterns that of an _ordinary _Jaguar. No sense in getting into a spat with Phai's people. They had more tricks up their sleeves that Leif did.

_Why were we woken anyway, Phai? _He asked after the scan had passed him by.

_I haven't found that out yet. But here…the languages have switched on us; you will need to learn new ones. _She said supplying the information he needed.

He growled low in his throat at the sudden influx of information. _Damn it, Phai! Don't do that! You know I can't absorb information like you…I need a slower pace. You just gave me a killer headache._

_Sorry. You'll need to get up here to where my home is. That seems to be where the threat is coming from._

_Cross an ocean? _Leif asked incredulously. _I do hope you don't wait up. It may take me a while to get there._

_I've discovered something interesting that may speed that up a bit. _Phai informed. Leif froze where he had been prowling. He didn't much like the sound of that. _They are called Aeroplanes or some such nonsense. Apparently it can cross the oceans in the span of a few hours._

Leif scoffed. Hours? That was utterly ridiculous. Not even the few members of the council who routinely crossed the ocean could manage it in anything less that a full day and night of travel. Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly. He was hungry from his long magically induced hibernation. _Leave me be for now Phai. I'm hunting and I know how you adore watching me eat._

He could sense Phai's instant revulsion. _Distasteful. _She hissed before she could censor it.

Leif rolled his large shoulders before remembering that she couldn't see it. _Well then be pleased I am giving you fair warning. I'll contact you again when I find one of these so-called Areoplans._

_Aeroplanes. _She corrected.

_Whatever. _The mental connection slipped away to the back of his mind as he stalked through the jungle. Images in red, yellow, white and orange sprung to life in front of him. A large hog was rooting around a few yards away. Leif suppressed the purr of excitement at having his prey so close to him.

He took a careful step forward before freezing. His eyes never left his target as he took another cautious step. It was only a few minutes before only a small fern separated the two creatures. With a growl Leif launched himself at the pig, teeth digging into its thick neck while his claws tore at its sides. Even if it somehow managed to get out of Leif's grip it would never survive.

The pig fell to the ground, squealing in fright and pain as it thrashed to and fro. With a jerk from his powerful jaws, Leif snapped its neck and ceased the creature's struggles. With that taken care of he tore into his prize. The lack of cooking didn't bother him. It may if he had been in his human form but the cat in him loved the taste of blood and raw meat against his tongue.

Purring filled his throat as he gnawed on the carcass. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he was eating. Normally a pig this size would fill him before he even finished half of it but this time he had devoured twice what he normally would have. Once he finally ate his fill he climbed a nearby tree to clean the blood and slivers of flesh from his claws and face. The pig carcass he left for the scavengers, he wouldn't be coming back to it.

As he cleaned himself from his, admittedly rather messy meal, he noticed the weather pick up. Yellow eyes studied the sky as clouds swirled and lightening slammed to earth. A ripple of ease flowed though him. He could sense something was not natural about that storm. He sensed _Karpatii _earlier; it would make sense that they had conjured the storm for whatever reason.

It was then he felt it. The pinprick of darkness coming towards him. It was racing away from the storm. The smell of rotting flesh and diseased blood told him it was a vampire. That explained the storm. A _Karpatii _hunter would need it to destroy the unclean corpse.

Leif watched carefully as the vampire tried to outrun the hunter. Unfortunately, some trap must have kept the hunter busy and the vampire was gaining more ground. Inside the Jaguar Leif smirked. He couldn't let that happen, now could he? He waited utterly still as the vampire drew near, obviously not thinking him anything more than a normal Jaguar.

As the vampire past under him Leif pounced. His weight brought the vampire crashing to the ground as Leif bit into his neck. Blood sprayed and burned at Leif's mouth but he ignored it and dug in deeper. The _Karpatii _scanned him as he raced closer but this time Leif made no bother to pretend to be anything but what he was. No normal jaguar would have attacked a vampire without prodding.

Leif leapt back as the hunter slammed his fist into the vampire and removed a withered, pulsing, black heart. Lightening slammed to earth and cremated both the vampire and his heart, scorching away the blood as well.

The hunter straightened and examined Leif with dark cold eyes. "It was not necessary for you to interfere." He said in a low, smooth as black silk, voice.

Leif let out a huff-like laugh. _Where would be the fun in that? _He asked in that new language that this hunter was using. For once Leif was praising Phai and her knowledge addiction. It had proved helpful after all.

"Allow me to heal you. The vampire's blood has burned you." The _Karpatii _said kneeling down in front of Leif.

Leif thought for a minute before closing the gap between them. As the hunter closed his eyes and healed the burns Leif studied him carefully. He was much like the other _Karpatii _males he had met. Heavily muscled, strong jaw, long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck and glittering dark eyes that knew far more than they would ever let onto.

Leif vaguely wondered why this hunter was so far from his homeland but put the question out of his mind as the hunter opened his eyes. "I do not recognize you." The _Karpatii _prompted.

_Your point?_

The hunter's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" He asked, mind thrusting as he tried to take the information from Leif's mind.

The Jaguar man laughed both in his mind and as the cat. He slunk into the shadows, tail swishing tauntingly. _Don't bother, _Karpatii. _My barriers are too strong. But to answer your question…I'm just a friendly little kitty cat. _He said before disappearing into the jungle. He could sense the hunter looking for him but Leif was secure in the knowledge that he wouldn't be found.

* * *

**I'm doing the more common races first I think. I figure they'd be faster to wake up since there are more of them still in existence. Hence...Leif! I love my Leify kitty cat. He's the most fun out of the Ancient Council I think.**


	3. Chapter 3

~~~*~~~

Wolves howled relentlessly, calling to their brethren in the night. A man with long blonde hair held in a leather tie raised his head and listened. His gold eyes flashed in the moonlight. Around the campsite everyone else stilled as well. "Julian?" A woman with long black hair asked reaching out to him. The blonde man took her hand in his, his mind tuning to hers to reassure her, even as he scanned the area.

"The wolves are restless." He stated unnecessarily. Everyone could feel the tension in the animals. Like a guitar string that was pulled almost too taut.

"Hunter and Sasha are uneasy too." The soft-spoken Syndil commented as her lifemate put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Is it a vampire?" Tempest asked looking to her own lifemate for an answer.

His black eyes softened when they looked at the petite redhead. He shook his head. "I sense no taint of a vampire nearby. He would have to be ancient indeed to hide from both me and Julian. The wolves call for another reason." He answered.

"What reason?" Corrine asked as she held her daughter closer to her chest. "Are we in danger?"

Dayan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into the shelter of his larger body. "There is no danger that we cannot handle." He assured her. "None of us will allow it."

"Dayan is right, Corrine." Darius said as he turned his black eyes to the expanse of trees around their campsite. "However, I think it best if we move tonight as opposed to tomorrow."

"I agree." Julian said already making plans for the move.

With both of the hunters having agreed the others didn't bother to voice any objections, not that they had any. The tension in the woods made them all wish to leave. Something powerful was moving, shifting, and making the earth shift with it. Though there was no evil taint that didn't make it safe to linger.

The wolves continued with their eerie songs as the troupe packed the campsite into the large tour-bus and truck. Syndil had her hands full keeping the large cats that traveled with them calm. They kept pacing the length of the bus, looking out the window as if they wanted to burst through and run into the woods. With practiced precision it only took them half an hour to pack everything away and leave the campsite. Once they were on the road they were certain they'd feel much more at ease.

The wolves stopped howling shortly after the Carpathians left. The pack gathered around a rock face and formed a half circle. They waited, whining and pawing at the edge of the rock.

Suddenly the earth rolled violently and a crack split up rock. The wolves' tails beat against the ground in excitement as the rock fell apart in two pieces. A large empty space in the middle of the large boulder smoked slightly as a figure straightened amongst the rubble. The wolves yipped their happy greetings.

A man clad in soft leather pants and a linen tunic stepped out from the center of the once boulder. He smiled at the wolves as they leapt at him, trying to bathe his handsome face with their tongues. He had wild brown hair that was hinted with rusty red and kept under control by a tight leather band. His eyes were a smoky grey and warmed as he looked at the excited animals at his feet. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the forest. _I am awake._

_So we've noticed. _The humor filled voice of Phai filled his mind with warmth. _Must you make such a dramatic entrance?_

_I doubt my entrance was anymore dramatic than your own, Phai. _He replied as he knelt down by the wolves and allowed them to greet him as their own. Suddenly he raised his head. _By the Powers…I woke after that cat?_

_Love you too, mutt. _Leif replied casually. Both of their voices were crossing a great distance to reach his mind but he could tell that Leif was the closer of the two.

_What is the reason for our sudden activity? _He asked as he finally straightened. The wolves had finally had their fill of introductions it seemed. They were milling around his legs, urging him to run with them. He put a hand out to calm them; he didn't have time to indulge in a run.

_Phai's looking into it, Garm. _Leif supplied.

Garm's mouth twitched a bit. _Ah yes, because the mighty Leif cannot be bothered with such matters._

_You can bother me. _Leif denied_. I just wont do it._

_Ah, my mistake._

_If you two are quite done with this lovely banter, we all get in one place. The strain of maintaining such a conversation across a great distance is something we should try to minimize. _Phai's voice was a whip that cut across their humor sharply. Garm felt a pulsing in his head and put a large hand as it grew to an ache. His head spun violently and he thought he might be sick.

_Phai…Powers that be, do you have to do that? You know you're the only one who can get information like that and not get sick. _Garm said as the new information settled heavily into his mind. He wanted to go to sleep for another couple of years and escape the buzzing that had resulted from the exchange.

_Sorry, Garm but we don't have time for pleasantries. I feel a growing unease. The others need to waken soon. _And with that Phai's voice drifted off and the buzzing in Garm's head receded slightly.

_She did it to me too if it makes you feel better. _Leif's voice was soft and held a hint of genuine emotion for once. Most of the time he hid everything behind his cocky attitude and quick wit.

Garm scoffed slightly. _Only minimally. How are we supposed to join up?_

_Phai said something about a contraption that crosses the ocean in a matter of hours. Said I should look into it. _The tone of his voice indicated that Leif had not yet done so.

Garm sighed; this was so very typical of his friend. _Very well. I will find out about this travel method. You come up here and we'll go together. I will make it easier to travel that way anyhow. Just be careful not to be spotted._

He could almost see Leif's childish pout. _But I was born with spots._

_You know I wasn't referring to your fur. _Garm replied with annoyance. _Can't you be serious for once?_

Leif's sigh was heavy in his mind. _Very well, I will avoid being seen with the utmost care. I will see you soon. _The connection broke off and Garm looked down at the wolves that were waiting fairly impatiently.

He smiled a wolfish grin before stretching his arms above his head. "I could use a run." His voice was rough and husky from a long time of nonuse. His muscles shifted and stretched as he changed shape, fur sprouting over his skin. In a matter of minutes a large male wolf took off running through the woods, an entire pack following behind.

Garm reveled in the ability to run. He leapt over logs and streams with a fluid ease, perhaps not up to the same standard of grace as a cat like Leif could but still gracefully. His paws were silent against the soft soil as ran. He could feel the joy of the wolf inside and the pack surrounding him. The absolute freedom of running for the sake of running. He could spend eternity doing nothing more than running with his brethren.

He slowed to a easy lope as a strange smell reached his nose. It was acrid and made him sneeze. He could identify one of the smells as smoke, heavy smoke. Like a forest fire. There was a glow of light coming from over the ridge and Garm quickly ran to the top of the rise.

Down below he was shocked at what he saw. Buildings rose from the ground like mountains and clumped together like trees. He'd never seen anything like it. Garm scented the wind and he noticed that he could smell humans. Hundreds of them mixing together with the smoke and dirt that he could smell before.

His lip rose in disgust. How could they live like that? There was no space to run or jump or do anything enjoyable. Slowly he retook his human form but remained couched down by the wolves. He would have to investigate this place. Seeing a large green sign lit up in the distance he focused on it more. The words 'Los Angeles' were printed in big white letters.

* * *

**Garm! The Lycanthrope has entered the picture. We're gonna start getting into my own little imagination for species soon. But we'll have to check back in with Phai in a bit and see what she's up to.**


	4. Chapter 4

~~~*~~~

It hadn't taken too long for Mikhail and Jacques to find the sharp corner of stone jutting out from the cliff. It took even less time for them to pull the entire thing out and set it on the ground where they could better study it. By the time Gregori had arrived the large stone coffin with a crack running down the side was sitting like an ancient monolith amidst the trees.

Mikhail didn't give his son-in-law much time to look at the coffin before asking the question that was burning in his mind. "What is this, Gregori? These markings…I've never seen anything like them."

"They're runes." Gregori answered running his hands over one of the geometric symbols. "Very old runes at that. I've not seen most of these since I was studying as a boy. Even then they were considered ancient."

"Can you read them?" Jacques asked as he circled the box. It was taller than all of them at eight feet high. Two feet deep and six feet across it seemed to be made for a behemoth.

Gregori was silent for several minutes as he studied the runes etched into the surface. Many of them had eroded away and were barely visible. Slowly he shook his head. "Too many are destroyed by time, I cannot tell what the inscription said. However…" Gregori ran his hand over some of the carvings along the top, where the inscription was better preserved. "This rune here is an ancient protection symbol and the one next it is the rune for eternity."

"The corner has been pulverized." Jacques commented pointing to the upper left front corner. "By lightening."

The implications of that simple sentence were many and not all of them were particularly good. Mikhail instantly reached for Raven; he wanted to be certain she was all right. That woman was so prone to getting in trouble.

_You grumble like an old man. _Raven said with a laugh. _I am fine here in town with Savannah and Shea. You three macho men have nothing to worry about._

_We will always worry about our lifemates. _Mikhail said simply, though he was relieved to here all was well.

Raven gave an exasperated sigh –despite the fact she wasn't annoyed- and rolled her eyes. _You three just finish your little investigation thing and we'll be right here in town waiting for you to come back. _And with that Raven let the connection slip away. "I swear it's as if they don't think we can handle ourselves." Raven said to the two women sitting next to her.

"I think we all just got the same lecture." Shea said with a laugh.

"It could be worse." Savannah commented. "They could have 'ordered' us to go back home."

Raven made a face and Shea nodded in agreement. "Carpathian men and their orders." The redhead said with exasperation. "If it weren't for their incredibly sweet side they'd be completely unbearable."

It was about that time when Slavica brought them their drinks. They wouldn't consume them but just having them while they sat in the corner of the lounge would give the impression of normalcy and that impression was usually all that people needed. Because of the nature of the small town most of the socializing took place in the inn that Slavica ran. It was cozy had the room people needed and was located fairly close to everything else in town.

Phai was cloaked in shadows nearby, listening to the three women chatting. She had recognized the innate grace and soundless movements of them as they had walked in. They didn't seem to notice a number of the tourists stared in their direction. Most of the locals didn't so much as give the women a second glance.

_What are you thinking? _Garm asked in her mind as she glided back up the stairs.

_I am thinking that I need to make an entrance. _Phai replied as she became visible just outside of her room. _What _are_ you doing? _Phai asked as she finally picked up on the violence that shimmered around him.

_Ah…I believe the term is 'Breaking and Entering' _He replied. Phai picked up the impression of shattered glass. _I can't turn into mist you know. And I needed to get money. I was careful to pick someone who was already grossly inept at protecting their possessions. _He added before she could protest. _He left the window unlocked._

_Then why did you break it?_

_It jammed and I used a bit too much force to _un_jam it. _Garm explained.

Phai sighed as she started down the stairs and made her way towards the dining room and lounge area. _You should be more careful. _She chided as she greeted Slavica warmly. The three _Karpatii _women in the corner looked up as she entered. She could feel the scans brushing over her. At least they did that, Phai thought gruffly. She had begun to think that her people had lost all their skill.

_Yes, mother. _Garm replied sarcastically. _Anyway, I am waiting for Leif and then we will come straight to Karpatiia. _

Phai gave a slight noise of understanding before closing the mental pathway. She let Slavica lead her over to a table that was near one of the walls and Phai ordered a simple mean and drink. The three women continued to chat but Phai noticed a distinct difference. No longer were they talking about their men so casually. They were making completely pointless discussion about some happenings overseas. All for show, Phai was sure.

Phai pulled a small book out of her pocket and began to read, or rather, pretend to read. The book she could probably recite from memory but she couldn't just sit there alone at a table and do nothing. It would invite someone to sit next to her. She'd found that out earlier. A man had taken it upon himself to 'keep her company' and hadn't been particularly happy when told to leave.

The women were still there and paying close attention when Phai's food came and the ancient resigned herself to having to actually eat it. While it wouldn't be the most pleasant of things to do she _was _trying to remain as human looking as possible. She had even thought to obtain of the strange contraptions that someone had called a _cell phone. _Though she'd never used the dratted thing it was still there sitting on the tabletop as if she were waiting for a call.

Suddenly the dragon on her abdomen burned and Phai looked up too suddenly. The women looked over in time to see Phai's eyes flash emerald green with the power of the Dragonseekers before she got up from her table and made a hasty exit. Too hasty apparently, because the women followed her out.

Outside the inn the clouds were swirling ominously. A warning to everyone to get to shelter. To a _Karpatii _it was a warning that a Blood Traitor was out and about and being hunted. The dragon burned fiercely against her skin as she looked up at the tumultuous sky. Phai was suddenly grabbed around the bicep and pulled back inside the inn. Looking around she saw that the redheaded _Karpatii _had jerked her back inside. "What _are _you doing?" She asked.

"Trust me you don't want to go out there." She said the other two women carefully blocking the exit. "I'm Shea O'Halloran. This is Raven and Savannah. We've seen this sort of storm before it's uh…it's very dangerous." She explained.

Phai smiled dryly. "Yes, I know. I'm not blind."

The women exchanged a look. They must have noticed her accent. It was old worldly; some of her words twisted in strange yet pleasant ways. No doubt they recognized the way she pronounced certain sounds. "Anyway, I think it would be best if we stepped away from the windows." Phai said easily guiding her would-be rescuers towards the dining room. "Plate glass can shatter fairly easily after all." She added thinking of Garm and his jammed window.

"Who are you?" The one Phai thought to be Raven asked curiously. Phai felt the brush of a scan but paid it little attention.

"Just a traveler. My name is Phai. Phai Drake." Again she heard the snicker in her mind of her so-called friends at her chosen last name. _Then you think of a last name if you're so much more creative. _She challenged them. Neither man choose to take her up on her challenge.

The three women exchanged a look, clearly not sure whether or not to believe her. Phai gave them a disarming smile. "Do you live here or are you visiting? This is the first time I've been in this town myself." She could make witless banter just as easily as they could.

"Me and Shea live here." Raven answered. "Savannah's just visiting from the States." She put a slight emphasis on 'the States' as if challenging Phai to recognize the slang term for the area.

"Really? How interesting. One of my best friends is currently in Los Angeles. I was planning on meeting him there sometime in the near future." Phai replied easily. It was like a game of cat and mouse and she was greatly amusing herself with it. These women clearly recognized that she wasn't quite what she appeared and were testing her as best they could.

Savannah smiled prettily "Where are you from Phai?" The storm outside rumbled dangerously as lightening slammed to earth in the distance.

Phai could feel the evil of the Traitor evaporate. The dragon ceased burning on her abdomen. "A town called _Kaavrie._" Phai answered, deliberately dropping a hint by using an ancient name for the town that used to sit on this same stretch of land. Phai made a show of glancing at her watch. "It's getting rather late isn't it? I'm afraid I'll have to retire to my room for now. Hopefully we can chat again."

"Yes, that would be lovely." Raven said with a beguiling tone.

"Goodnight, Shea. Savannah. Raven." She nodded to each of them before turning and going up to her room. She could barely stop the smile from spreading across her face; she hadn't had this much fun in centuries.


	5. Chapter 5

~~~*~~~

A small island –no more than a large rock pile- in the Dead Sea was almost constantly shrouded by heavy mist. A cave was hidden behind a few of the boulders that made up the tiny land mass. Suddenly the rocks cracked. More cracks filled the surface, spreading like water dripping down its coarse face.

A high-pitched sound echoed slightly as the cracks broke further into the rock. Suddenly the rock shattered, sending tiny fragments into the black waters surrounding it.

Inside the cave a figure was encased in a white crystalline substance. The echoing sound filled the cave, growing louder and higher pitched with each passing second. It didn't take long for the white crystal to shatter as easily as the rock had. A pale woman with waist-length blonde hair and piercing black eyes stood from the powder that had been the crystal.

Her gossamer white robe fluttered lightly in the salty breeze as she brushed the debris from herself. She inhaled deeply and let out a piercing shriek that shattered the stones around her.

_If you are quite done, Raidne. We have a job to do._

The woman frowned slightly at the other woman's voice in her mind and flipped a section of pale hair over her shoulder. _I was just greeting the morning._

_You know very well it's not morning._

_I've just woken up. Therefore, morning. _Raidne said walking out onto the small debris pile that broke the surface of the water. The mist swept around her and clung to her thin form like a cloak. _Where are we headed, oh severe one?_

_We are meeting in Karpatiia. _Leif commented.

Raidne sighed. _Wonderful. Far from the sea. _She took a step off the rock and onto the surface of the water. A cushion of air under her bare feet prevented her from falling through into the salty water. _Could we not meet somewhere more convenient, Phai?_

_It's perfectly convenient for me. _Phai replied.

Suddenly a gust of cold wind swept across the water, nearly knocking Raidne down from lack of concentration. _Looks like I'm not the only who has awoken just now. _She commented to the others.

_Indeed not. All of your shrieking must have got his attention. _Garm said.

_I highly doubt that._

Deep in the mountains an ancient tree clinging to the highest reaches shook. A pair of yellow eyes opened in a hole in its trunk. A large owl hopped forward to peer out at the mountain range. There were buildings far below, buildings that hadn't been there when the owl had gone to sleep.

_Birdy! _Leif greeted happily. _Oh how I've missed you! I think in my dream I was chasing one of your cousins…_

The large owl ignored the Jaguar. _How long have we been asleep? _A man's mid-ranged voice asked the others curiously.

_I'd say 18 or so. _Garm supplied.

_Hundred? _Raidne asked hopefully.

Phai gave a short laugh. _Thousand. Eighteen thousand years at least. Things have changed far too much for eighteen hundred years. You two shouldn't have any problems with the change of languages but the so-called styles have changed much while we were asleep._

_Human's have expanded. _Garm commented.

_So I've noticed. _The owl said as he jumped from the tree and opened his large tawny wings.

Standing on the porch outside of her room, Phai turned her head to the wind. _I have noticed that the Avariels were not where I had assumed they would be, Awyn._

The owl turned towards the mountains; a graceful arc in the sky. _I know. _He replied as he scanned the ground for small animals that would make an easy prey. _I cannot explain it either._

_Leif, where by the powers are you? _Raidne asked suddenly. _Why aren't you in the jungle? That's where we left you._

I, _my dear Banshee, am going to meet Garm. But as to where I am precisely? That I am not quite sure. It's very hot though. Sweltering actually. Fur is not the proper attire for this region I don't think…_

_No you don't think. But we love you anyway. _Garm said in a mock-sweet tone.

_Enough chatter. _Phai said before Leif could reply. She turned back to enter her room, not bothering to close the door behind her. _We have more important things to worry about. I've run into three of my people. I don't think they believed my acting skills._

_Imagine that. _Raidne commented._ But everyone knows _I'm _the better actress. I was a star back in my day._

_Your age is showing. _Awyn commented.

Phai sighed and let the others feel her annoyance. They quickly grew silent. It wasn't wise to upset Phai, not even from a great distance. _Once we have all gathered we will approach my people. Then we can fix whatever has gone wrong and return to our slumber._

_But we haven't all woken yet. _Awyn pointed out. _Six of us are still sleeping deep._

_Maybe we should continue without them and then have them join us later? _Garm suggested as he wandered through the streets of the human city. He was still trying to find enough money to get plane tickets. It was difficult what with planning for Leif as well. Planning had never been Garm's strongest talent.

Phai thought about the suggestion for a few minutes. _That may be the smartest thing to do…who knows how long it will take for Afalia to waken._

_But Afalia's so adorable… _Leif gushed. _She's like the daughter I don't have._

_And never will. _Garm added.

_Hush, mutt._

Phai rubbed her forehead tiredly. Holding the conversation between so many people who were so far away was starting to wear her down. _Enough. I will consider your suggestion Garm. All of you just focus on getting _here. _We will deal with the others once they waken._

The strands of mental pathways slipped away and each member was left to their own devices to travel to _Karpatiia. _Raidne easily glided across the surface of the Dead Sea, mist swirling around her legs and body to hide her from prying eyes. It didn't take long for the pale woman to reach the rocky shore.

She didn't even notice the sharp rocks as she walked further north along the shoreline. As she walked she hummed a slow infectious tune. If any humans had been around they would have been instantly drawn to the hypnotic noises that she was producing.

Miles away Awyn's claws snapped shut around a vole. The owl stopped on a rock outcropping and used his sharp beak to tear into his prize. In a matter of a few moments the entire vole was devoured. He looked up at the moon shining down on him and his bones started to crackle.

His entire form shifted until a man with pure white wings was sitting on the rock, looking up at the sky with amber eyes. His shoulder-length blonde hair had feathers braided in it. He was very unlike the _Karpatii, _Lycanthrope and Jaguars. He was lithe and slender and only reached five feet five inches if one ignored the large wings that sprouted from his shoulder blades.

An owl called a greeting to Awyn as it swooped past and the birdman sent a mental greeting of his own. Slowly he got to his feet and stretched. It had been a long time since he had taken his true form, he wasn't quite used to it anymore. "_A fine night to fly." _He muttered to himself before leaping off the rock and into the open night sky.

* * *

**TWO new members of the council have been introduced! Awyn the Avariel and Raidne the Harminou (aka Banshees or Sirens depending on what they're doing)**


	6. Chapter 6

~~~*~~~

_I should arrive where you are by tomorrow night, Garm. _Leif informed suddenly. Garm raised an eyebrow at that. Leif had to be moving non-stop at full speed to be able to cross such a large distance so quickly. He'd most likely be exhausted when he finally stopped.

_Very well, I will make the arrangements to travel to Karpatiia. _Garm replied as he turned his attention back to the sidewalk. He had changed his manner of dressing slightly. He wore a pair of jeans that had faded horribly and -due to his roaming of the wilds- were torn, as well as a simple button down shirt made of some fabric that he couldn't place but was very soft against his skin.

Garm had been doing quite a bit of investigating of this new time. He found that the city was an utterly repulsive place to be but if one wanted to get anything done you had to endure it. He'd been leafing through different 'newspapers' as the humans were calling them; looking for any information on the Areoplans that Phai had told them about. And it was only because he found he often had to call upon the information that Phai'd thrust into his head that he could understand any of the words at all. Writing had changed a great deal it seemed.

Just a few hours ago he had come across a section in the paper about a place that existed solely for helping people 'book' trips. Why people would use a phrase like 'booking' Garm couldn't understand, so he pushed it out of his mind as an unnecessary oddity. He'd quickly decided he'd at least go and see if he could acquire more information.

So now he was walking down the brightly lit street as storeowners unlocked their doors for the early morning business. Garm took his time, observing every nuance of behavior. Through his nightly pilfering of homes Garm had accumulated a very substantial sum of money that now resided in his back pocket. Strangely enough nobody seemed to notice the break ins. Well, the police had been called and what not but it didn't seem to Garm as if anybody but the homeowners were particularly upset about it.

The Lycanthrope shook his head and turned his attention back to his task. If he knew Leif –and he did- then he was almost guaranteed that the Jaguar would refuse to take human form; especially, surrounded by so many humans. Garm sighed in frustration, like usual the cat would make things difficult. Hopefully, things worked easily enough the same in this time as it did back in Garm's era: money made things move ever easier.

Finding the building wasn't particularly difficult. They had large posters of giant white ships and the like hanging from the window. Garm also now saw an example of an 'Airplane' –Leif had apparently been wrong about the word for it. It was a large monstrosity of metal shaped like an overly stiff bird. No doubt Awyn would have a few choice things to say about it could he see it.

Garm entered the store silently, though the bell on the door announced his arrival anyway. A woman with blonde hair in a series of loose ringlets looked up and smiled brightly at him. "Hello there, welcome to Wendon and Company Travel agency. Can I help you?"

"I do hope so." Garm said glancing around the building. It was a small area with three metal desks placed around the room. The walls were a bland color though it was hard to see since even more posters, many of which depicted white sand beaches and blue water, took up most of the space. The only sign of life –besides the blonde woman- was a sad looking plant in a gold bowl next to a line of chairs against the wall.

The woman beamed at him and gestured to the chair on the other side of her desk. "Have a seat and we'll see what I can do for you. I'm Catherine Hall." She introduced, still with the happy –Garm was tempted to say vacant- smile.

Garm smiled back, she would be easy enough to manipulate. Already he could tell she was attracted to him, though she was only human so such a reaction was expected. "I'm looking to travel to Romania." Garm said taking the seat Catherine had offered. "But there are a few…conditions."

"I'm sure we can accommodate what ever you need." Catherine said instantly. "Is this a pleasure trip or business?" She asked turning to the thin computer on the short side of her L shaped desk.

"Business." Garm answered. "I'll need to get there as soon as possible."

Catherine looked over and made the supreme mistake of making eye contact. Instantly she paused, falling under Garm's hypnotic gaze. Only strong ancient beings could break away from a Lycan's stare. "Of course…" Catherine said dreamily. "We have a flight leaving for Europe tomorrow…"

Garm smiled at her, never breaking eye contact. "Thank you. There is a slight problem however, I have travel with a Jaguar-"

"Your pet have papers?" A new voice asked.

Garm looked over –breaking his hold on Catherine's mind- to see a man with a large stomach and almost no hair enter from a back room that Garm hadn't seen before. "I'm sorry?"

The man sighed as if annoyed. "Does your pet have the proper permits and all that?" He asked. "As long as it does we can arrange to have it shipped."

Garm scowled, this man was treating him like an imbecile and his reference to Leif as a 'pet' was less than amusing. "I assure you everything is in order."

"How ever did you get the permits to keep such an exotic pet?" Catherine asked with a flutter of her eyelashes. Garm suppressed his annoyance, the last thing he needed was to make a mistake and let these human know he was anything other than what he pretended to be.

"It is not as difficult as you would think." He said, making a mental note to later go and find out about these permits that the man was referring to. With his hypnotic gaze it should be simple enough to charm the papers out of whoever it was that had them.

The man, apparently done with his interference, took a seat behind the furthest desk and started the computer. "I can send you on a flight tomorrow morning at five am. A cargo plane can take your Jaguar later that day at three pm."

"We must be on the same plane." Garm stated.

Catherine frowned at her computer screen and to Garm's further annoyance didn't look over at him. "Not many planes allow for dangerous animals to travel with civilians…insurance risk."

Garm leaned forward, capturing Catherine's attention and therefore her gaze. He smiled at her; "Surely there is some way you can make this work for me. It is imperative that we travel together, you can see that."

The blonde gave a dreamy smile "Private planes are more lenient…I'll see if I can find you one…" She said. Satisfied, Garm released her from his power.

As Catherine turned to her search Garm felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Turning he saw that the man was looking at him with a thoughtful expression on his face. Garm met his stare unflinchingly. After a minute the man became visibly uncomfortable and looked away. Garm smirked, he had been a Beta in his pack he could easily exert his authority over a single human.

"Here we are." Catherine said still looking at her computer screen. "A private charter that routinely makes trips to several locations in Europe. I'll see if the pilot will agree to a take you and your pet." She said picking up the phone next to her and dialing in a number.

_Leif, will you be arriving in the morning or evening? _Garm asked curiously.

_Probably early evening. Why?_

_I am arranging for our transportation. _Garm answered before breaking off and turning his attention back to Catherine. "I just remembered I have a meeting in the morning. The later in the day would be better." Catherine agreed without fuss and started making the arrangements with the pilot of the plane.

"You do have a crate for your animal right?" The man asked.

Garm turned his attention to the man with a frown. The man was staring at his computer and refused to even glance at the Lycan. "Do you often make a habit of listening in on other people's business?"

"Not many people come in asking to travel with dangerous animals." The man answered with a shrug. "Anyway, even private planes will require you to crate up your pet. Can't let something that dangerous get loose now can you?"

"Of course not." Garm replied evenly. This presented a new problem. Getting Leif to agree to any sort of confinement was next to impossible. Garm reached out to Phai, he'd need her help to convince Leif to make a choice between being in human form or being in a box. Neither prospect looked particularly likely at this point…


	7. Chapter 7

~~~*~~~

The Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. Crushing pressure from the tons of icy salt water allow only the most hearty of species to survive. Deep in the craggy walls of the Trench a slight movement of water sends a cloud of silt up in a plume. A flash of silver scales and the strange being was zipping out of its hiding place.

It came to a stop near the underwater vents. The water here was beyond boiling but nothing seemed to notice. At first it was difficult to tell what the creature was, it looked nothing like the myths had said it did. Long silver hair picked up on even the slightest change in current. A long silver tail, stretching nearly four feet in length, blended seamlessly with the pale white skin of an almost human torso. It was a male with milky white eyes that seemed slightly too large for the sharp lines of his face. Fins sprouted from his forearms, webbing was between his long fingers, and slit-like gills crossed his ribs and neck.

He looked up towards the surface. _What's going on? _He asked curiously. A six-gill shark passed by making certain to give the ancient creature a wide berth.

_We're saving the world again, Fishy! _Leif supplied happily.

_Saving it from what we don't know._ Awyn added. _But Phai seems to be on the way to figuring that out. At least…that's what she claims to be doing._

_I am. _Phai said simply.

He heard a girlish laugh in his mind. _Seems more like playing around to me. _Raidne said. _You know how she can't resist a good game of cat and mouse, Kekoa._

The newest awakened Ancient sighed a stream of water and shook his head. He'd rather not get into the middle of one of Phai and Raidne's arguments when he'd just woken up. _I'll just surface then. _He said starting to swim upwards. As the pressure started to lessen he changed his body to handle it. Only a Merse had mastered the art of changing their body structure at will.

_You do that. I shall continue my business here. _Phai said glancing up at the women who had once again been paying very close attention to her. She sighed and looked back down at the book in her hands.

Leif paused on top of a rock outcropping and huffed with the exertion of running so far had caused. Someone was following him. He knew it. Truthfully he had suspected it for a number of miles now but now he was certain. A growl rose in his throat and he leapt off the rock. His muscles were burning in protest but he ignored it.

Time was of the essence and he did **not**like the fact that he was being followed. He may run faster than any normal Jaguar but he wouldn't be able to then fight if it came down to that. His only option was to meet with Garm. And then hope that the Lycanthrope was willing to assist him. More than likely not, but he didn't have a choice.

The area was quickly becoming forested. He easily crossed terrain that he knew would give others pause. Vaulting over gullies and logs with fluid ease he trusted his instincts to get him to Garm in the shortest time possible. Meanwhile he focused his limited abilities to masking his trail. A Jaguar was not that easy to track. And whoever was following him was about to find that out.

Leif knew the instant his pursuer had lost his trail and he growled in satisfaction before turning his attention back to traveling as quickly as possible. Several miles behind him a man materialized in the middle of the forest.

Zacharias De La Cruz stared into the shadows of the trees. He'd managed to trail the Jaguar male all the way to the United States and now he'd lost the trail as if it never was. It had taken him hours to find the trail the first time he'd lost it for seemingly no reason. This Jaguar, he wasn't like the ones he'd encountered before. He was too skilled; able to escape detection from an Ancient Carpathian and the Vampire he'd been hunting. What's more the Jaguar had treated it as commonplace for their kinds to be working together.

Zacharias turned his head slightly as he sensed two powerful males approaching. It wasn't long before the two hunters had taken shape in front of him. One was a typical male, with dark hair and eyes like black ice. The other was far more unique with blonde hair and golden eyes. Of the Savagio line Zacharias thought him.

The blonde was the first to step forward. "I am Julian Savage."

"Zacharias De La Cruz." Zacharias returned the warrior's greeting.

"We met your brothers not long ago. During the Christmas gathering." Julian said with a slight nod.

"I take it you mean the Christmas fiasco." Zacharias corrected. "I do not know why you indulged in it."

The other two warriors exchanged a short look. "You may understand when you find a lifemate." Julian said with a wry smile. "But, you are far from South America, what brings you here?"

"I was tracking a Jaguar male. But his trail ends here." Zacharias said motioning to the slight clearing created at the meeting of two well-used deer trails.

"Strange things are happening all over it seems." The darker male said. "My brother tells me of a coffin that was struck by lightening not three miles from Jacques' home."

Julian nodded slightly. "And there was the restlessness of the wolves several nights ago."

Zacharias glanced up at the cloudy night sky. "It is as if the entire world is preparing for something…"

In Romania, Phai sighed and tapped her finger on the tabletop. Maybe she should just come out and tell them who she was. It would certainly make this easier. But then she wanted at least one of the others nearby should they surprise her. Or more likely, call upon her to prove her story.

_Tomorrow then. _She thought taking a sip from her icy water. By then Garm and Leif should be close enough. She'd approach her people then.

Speaking of her people the three women were starting to disperse. Phai looked up at the clock. It was still early yet. The sun had only just set a few hours ago and yet they were leaving. Her curiosity was peaked, to say the least. Phai waited until she was certain that they had left the building before dissolving in her seat, modifying memories as she did so to not arouse suspicion.

Phai followed them –in the shape of birds- deep into the mountains to where a large mansion was sitting behind a tall gate. The three birds shifted into women as they landed on the front lawn and they quickly hurried inside.

The Ancient followed them as a breeze of night air until they came to a lavish library. Phai nearly lost her concentration at the sheer excitement of being surrounded by so much knowledge. She could get lost in here for several months at least. "It seems we're not the only ones who've experienced some unusual happenings."

Phai ripped her attention back to the _Karpatii_ that surrounded the room. There were at least a dozen here and standing on the porch outside, all of them listening. Phai instantly knew that the one that Raven went to was the leader. He had the air of authority that the other males seemed to consent to follow. "Darius and Julian reported strange behaviors from their animals and the local wolves that they were nearby two days ago. Apparently they could not sooth any of them and decided to leave the area."

There was a moment of silence before the leader continued. "And now they have come across Zacharias De La Cruz who was tracking a Jaguar with abilities far beyond what he has normally seen. And he's been tracking that Jaguar for three days." Phai mentally cursed Leif and his carelessness. "Unfortunately Zacharias lost the trail. This in itself is cause for concern. He's a skilled ancient and for him to lose a trail is practically unheard of."

"Mikhail, what of the coffin?" One of the other males asked from where he was leaning against the wall.

The leader sighed, "Not much progress has been made on deciphering its runes. They are too far eroded away."

"It is the time frame that concerns me." The male standing slightly behind Mikhail started. His eyes slashed molten silver as he passed over the others in the room. "All of these things are happening so close together…it is not natural. A larger power is a work here."

"You think…Xavier?" A woman that Phai didn't recognize asked, her hand reaching up to her throat in a defensive action.

Mikhail shook his head slightly. "It is difficult to tell. None of these occurrences seem to be threatening but neither have we found any evidence to say we should let our guard down."

Raven suddenly stirred from her spot next to Mikhail. "There's a woman. In town. I wasn't sure if it was important or not but I suppose I might as well say something now and you can figure it out."

"What woman?" The silver-eyed man asked.

"Her name is Phai." Savannah said putting a hand on the man's arm. "She sounded like…" She seemed to struggle for a minute. "Like the Ancients that were sent away and only recently returned."

"And her eyes flashed green." Shea added. "Dragonseeker green."

Phai smiled humorlessly. Perhaps she wouldn't scold Leif; she seemed to have made an impression as well. She quickly decided that she had pushed her luck enough for one rising. She dissolved into tiny particles before streaming through a nearby window. At least she had a name now. _Xavier_.

* * *

**Okay, one more Ancient has risen. The Merman Kekoa. And I apologize if I got Zacharias' personality wrong there...this is the first time I've tried writing him.**


	8. Chapter 8

~~~*~~~

Garm raised his head at the familiar smell of Jaguar. So, Leif had finally arrived. The Lycanthrope smiled to himself and got up from his reclined position on the porch of what appeared to be an abandoned hunting cabin. He stepped off the porch and took a few steps towards the tree line only a few yards away.

At first he didn't see anything. But then a shadow started to slid unnaturally and Garm knew that he was watching Leif inspect the area before coming into the open. No amount of trust in Garm's abilities would ever be enough to cure the Jaguar of his inherent dislike of being in exposed.

Finally the large cat left the shadows of the trees. Garm chuckled as Leif lunged and placed his huge paws on the Lycanthrope's shoulders. "It is good to see you as well, Leif." Garm said scratching his friend's silky ears.

Leif purred in appreciation of the act. _How did you find this place? _He asked as he released his friend and prowled closer to the cabin.

Garm shrugged. "My wolf friends were only too happy to tell me of its existence." He answered. He watched silently as Leif made his inspection of the cabin, knowing full well the Jaguar would find nothing to complain over. After a short once over, Leif lay down on the porch with a huff.

_Wake me when it's time to leave. _He muttered before promptly going to sleep.

Garm suppressed his urge to laugh and let his exhausted friend rest. _I do believe he's tired. _He shared with the others with the distinct image of Leif already curled up on the porch asleep.

_Well, he always has been rather lazy. _Kekoa said as he headed further north. He was still thousands of meters from the surface but gradually swam upwards. It was easier to rise at a slower rate, even for an ancient Merse like himself.

_Give him some credit. He ran 3,500 odd miles in four days. _Awyn defended.

Kekoa chose not to reply. A shift of the current he was swimming in brought his full attention back to his surroundings. He could just detect several fast moving creatures approaching from below him. He tilted his head as he picked them out almost instantly as fellow Merse, though far younger than he'd expect to find wandering about unsupervised.

Merse had often been accused of being overprotective of their children, keeping them under careful guard well into the child's three hundredth year. An even longer span than the _Karpatii _did.

Three Merse approached him from the depths, their long powerful tails propelling them effortlessly through the water. "What are you children doing so far from your pod?" Kekoa asked in their native language of rather eerie moans and bursts of high-pitched noises.

"We aren't children!" the apparent leader said instantly, sounding rather offended by the suggestion. He was a thinly built male with long golden hair and a slight green tinge to his skin. "We're all over a hundred years old!"

Kekoa made a noise of disbelief. "That _is_ being a child."

"Who are you?" The only female demanded. "We've never seen you before!" She looked related to the leader, possessing the same gold hair and thin build.

"My name is Kekoa of the Council of Ancients." He informed before leveling them with his unnervingly pale eyes. The three children seemed to deflate almost instantly. They knew when they were outmatched.

It had only been a few hours since Leif had fallen asleep on the porch of the cabin and already he and Garm were running towards this 'airport'. Apparently it was a small one and Garm had already set everything to be waiting for them.

Leif followed the larger-than-average wolf like a silent shadow. He couldn't shake the feeling that Garm was keeping something deliberately to himself. And it annoyed him. Being left out of the loop was perhaps the third –make that fourth after parrots- thing he couldn't stand.

It wasn't long before they came to a secluded airstrip and Garm shifted back into his human form. He pulled a set of clothes from where they had been hidden in a nearby bush. After dressing he turned to look at his friend, apprehension only barely hidden in his grey eyes. "Let's go then. Stay out of sight until I can clear the area though. Apparently large predators tend to cause panic."

Leif chuckled slightly at that and slid into the shadows of the mostly dead underbrush. Garm quickly used his powerful gaze to clear the loading bay of the plane they would be taking of all the workers.

A quick glance to the shadows and Leif took his queue. But Leif stopped short and his hackles immediately rose. A low menacing growl echoed from his throat as he showed his sharp teeth. _What is that? _He demanded in a low tone that Garm had rarely heard him use.

Garm sighed and glanced at the heavy wooden crate with only a few holes to provide air and a heavy barred door. "Leif, it's the only way."

_B__échutii! _Leif cursed. _You never said anything about a cage!_

"You wouldn't have come if I had!" Garm reasoned. Leif stalked away, growls constantly filling his throat. "Leif, I know you hate them but it's either this or take your other form."

_You know I can't do that!_

Garm wasn't sure which option Leif was referring to, but then it hardly mattered. "Leif-"

Leif's voice sliced across Garm's mind, but in a different way than before. _Don't ask me! Please, I can't! _Garm hesitated. It showed Leif's desperation that he would say 'please' in such a pleading tone. It just wasn't in a Jaguar's prideful nature to plead for anything.

Garm sighed to himself. He hated to do this but Leif was proving to be as uncooperative as he had thought him to be. Careful to not let Leif notice, Garm mentally reached out to the others. _You have to help me._

_Perhaps we should not force him… _Awyn said hesitantly. _With his history-_

_We don't have the option to let him find another way, Awyn. _Raidne interrupted.

There was a lengthy silence and then they could almost feel Phai stirring from where she had been listening. The image was so clear in their mind. Phai standing from her spot leaning against some villager's chimney and walking to the edge of the roof with soundless steps. _Leif._

Garm saw the Jaguar's head snap up and he almost seemed to disappear into the shadows as he then froze. But Leif didn't answer the mental summons. Phai sighed in their minds before calling more insistently. _Leif, you will _not_ ignore me._

_…Phai…don't… _Leif finally replied, already knowing why their _Karpatii _friend would be contacting him.

_I am sorry, Leif, but it must be done. _Instantly shields slammed shut around Leif's mind. A useless but telling gesture. With all of the other Ancients throwing their backing to Phai it took no more than a moment to break through the Jaguar's shields.

Leif snarled and fought as his legs moved of their own accord. In their minds however he was strangely silent, which was perhaps worse for Leif was almost never silent. After several minutes of struggle Leif had entered the crate and Garm regretfully closed the door. Phai released her hold on Leif's mind and the bulk of a fully-grown Jaguar male was instantly slammed against the door.

Hisses and growls emanated from the crate as Leif fought to get out. Garm sighed; it would be a while before his friend forgave them for this. Leif's golden eyes held a feral quality as he continued to bash the inside of his crate with desperation. The dock works were starting to filter back into the area and cast wary glances at the crate that had been empty and harmless looking when they left.

Garm cast them an annoyed glance and snapped at them to hurry everything up. While the workers started loading the cargo and fueling the plane, Leif slowly quieted. It took another annoyed command from Garm to convince the workers to approach the crate and carry it onto the plane.

Within half an hour Garm was sitting in his seat on the plane as they leveled out above the clouds. Leif was no longer making any noise in the back of the plane but what worried him was the continued mental silence. Leif did _not _take confinement well.

As soon as he was able Garm left his seat and headed into the cargo hold. The stewardess looked as if she was about to protest but Garm easily influenced her to allow him to do so. The large crate with bold red lettering that spelled out 'LIVE CARGO' was strapped down to the side where nothing else was stacked.

Now that he was closer he could practically smell the fear rolling off of the cage. Garm knelt down in front of the door and peered in. Leif was in the furthest corner he could find, curled up tightly and shaking nonstop. "Leif…"

_L-let me out…_Garm winced at the tiny voice that he barely heard in his mind. _P-please Garm…let me go._

Garm sighed. "I can't do that, Leif." Leif made a soft quivering noise and Garm felt a pang of sympathy followed almost instantly by a larger feeling of guilt. They were pushing him too far.

The Lycanthrope reached to the lock of the cage. Before Leif could bolt out of the loosened door, Garm had slipped inside the now cramped space and closed the door behind him. He reached over and gently brushed Leif's head. The Jaguar flinched and buried his head further into his side.

"Leif…" That was apparently all the encouragement needed, as the Jaguar was instantly a quivering mass half on Garm's lap. Garm winced as thick claws dug into his thighs but didn't complain.

Leif continued to mewl like a frightened kitten while Garm tried to conjure up mental images of the rainforest. Garm's hands eventually found their way to Leif's head and stroked back the fur as soothingly as possible. In his mind he could hear the others whispering to Leif in their own attempts at calming the Jaguar.

Slowly Leif's claws released their grip on Garm's leg, though the large cat was still trembling with fear. Garm leaned back against the side of the crate and resigned himself to spending the flight keeping Leif as calm as possible. Glancing down at the usually confident Jaguar Garm felt another pang of guilt. He'd be surprised if Leif managed to trust him again after this. Garm didn't blame him.

* * *

**Oh my gosh! I've been so eager to write this one for so long! And the chapter is longer than normal so yay for you! Oh and that curse I gave Leif, I totally made up on the spot. I imagine it means bullshit or something of the like.**


	9. Chapter 9

~~~*~~~

As soon as Garm opened the crate's door Leif was springing forward. The Jaguar didn't pause as he bound into the nearby foliage and all but disappeared. Even Garm, the expert tracker that he was, would never be able to catch him.

Garm had hated having to leave the distraught Jaguar alone while the plane landed. Leif had made the most pitiful sounds that Garm had ever heard him make. He didn't even know a predator such as a Jaguar could comprehend pitiful let alone project it so clearly. _He will be fine. _Phai reminded in a neutral tone.

_He'll never forgive us for that. _Garm replied as he walked deep into the forest where he would transform free from any possible accidental onlookers.

_In time he will. _Phai assured. _Jaguar males are quick to anger but cannot hold a grudge._

_I don't know, Phai. _Awyn's voice was hesitant and unsure. _We forced him into a cage when we knew perfectly well his terror of them. It is not something he is likely to forgive anytime soon._

_For once, I must say I agree with Awyn. _Raidne said. _It would be like leaving you in the sun, Phai. It simply isn't done._

_Nor particularly healthy… _Kekoa drawled.

Garm sighed and put his clothes into a bag that he could carry with him in his wolf form. Like the Jaguars, Lycanthropes could not make their own clothing. A gentle probe proved Garm's fears. Leif's mind was firmly closed off from the rest of them and he could only sense the smallest hint of an emotion. Betrayal.

Phai's sigh echoed Garm's only a moment after. _Garm, you must go after him._

_I cannot track Leif in his current state. He is using his utmost skills to evade all detection. _Garm argued.

_You are his best friend, Garm. _Phai pointed out softly. _There is nobody but you who can reach him as he is now._

Garm scrambled for a reply. _What of the threat? This Xavier person?_

_I am almost to Karpatiia. _Awyn said smoothly. _I will go with Phai to meet her people if need be. I'm certain we could wait another day for me to be there._

_And me and Kekoa are already on our way. _Raidne added.

_Leif needs you more than we do, at the moment. _Phai concluded. Her voice broke no arguments. She was all but ordering Garm to find Leif. The Council dispersed a moment later, not allowing Garm to try to argue.

Garm sighed and ran a heavy hand through his rusty-brown hair. "He's going to kill me." He muttered. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Garm started to shift into his lupine form. He nosed the strap of the bag until it was around his neck. The Lycanthrope lifted his nose to the wind but, like he had thought, there wasn't a trace of Leif to be found. Slowly Garm made his way deeper into the forest, all of his senses flaring to find his friend. _It'll be a miracle if I can find him. _He thought to himself.

Garm did not like this idea one bit. First he had been forced to make a decision that had no winning solution. And now he was being forced to find the person most injured by that decision and metaphorically spill his guts. All the while hoping that Leif didn't make it literal.

As it turns out Garm was granted his miracle. Not by any trace that Leif had left but by simply knowing the Jaguar's habits. A small ledge, only reachable by tree limbs, was high above Garm's head. He couldn't see what was on the ledge but he trusted his instincts that it was where he needed to go.

He shifted back to his human form and hastily pulled on his clothes. It took a bit of effort to climb the tree up to the ledge; wolves weren't made to climb trees. But once he reached the ledge's level he instantly spotted Leif.

The Jaguar was curled up facing the rock face and almost completely undetectable, even at this close a range. _You locked me in a _cage, _Garm. _Leif stated in his head. _A CAGE!_

Garm sighed and slowly eased onto the ledge. "I know and I'm sorry. Truly very sorry."

Leif scoffed. _You're no better than _them. Leif hissed.

Garm knew Leif was speaking more from hurt than anything but his hackles instantly rose at the accusation anyway. "I am nothing like them, Leif. I didn't want to put through that but you can't travel with humans in your cat form and you won't take human form anymore!"

_Why should I have to be something I'm not? _Leif demanded whipping around to glare at Garm. _I am Jaguar, not human!_

"That form is as much a part of you as the one you're in now!" Garm snapped. "You're just too stubborn to admit it to yourself."

_Men don't get locked in cages! _Leif all but roared in Garm's mind. His hurt and sense of betrayal was giving way to animalistic rage. He was an inch away from taking a swipe at the Lycan crouched in front of him.

Garm sighed. "I am sorry, Leif. But you gave us no choice. You refuse to compromise with the current age. Even Kekoa realizes the need for adjustments. I cannot simply order them to allow you to be left as you are when we are around humans."

Low rumbles emanated from Leif's throat. _It was a _cage_, Garm. I couldn't _Get. Out.

Garm heard the tinge of fear behind the anger. Leif was still too greatly shaken from the ordeal. Garm let out a slow breath, willing his mind to find the right words to say. After a minute he opened his eyes and stared directly into Leif's molten glare. "Leif, we would _never _allow that to happen to you again."

The effect was visible and instantaneous. Leif's glare evaporated within seconds and his body went almost completely slack. Garm just barely moved forward to catch him before he hit the ground. Leif mewled softly and continuously as Garm stroked his flat head. _I can't…I can't be in a cage, Garm. Not again._

"I know. There won't be a reason to anymore." Garm said soothingly. "And you don't have to take human form if you don't want to." There were several minutes where nothing was said. There wasn't anything _to_ say.

_This time…it's so confusing…and strange. I feel off balance all the time. _Leif said slowly calming down again.

"I feel it too. I'm sure the others do as well." Garm said as Leif slowly sat up though the cat steadfastly avoided looking at the Lycanthrope. "But at least we don't need to travel across anymore oceans."

_I hope you know I nearly gorged you. _Leif grumbled.

Garm raised an eyebrow and got to his feet. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you had. I'm almost surprised you didn't."

_I should have. It would have served you right._

"Believe me, my friend, I agree." Garm said as he jumped into the tree and carefully made his way back to the forest floor. Leif hesitated but then followed a bit faster and with distinctly more grace.

_I don't supposed we could ditch the others… _Leif said a hint of his normal good humor returning.

Garm rolled his eyes as he stuffed his clothes back into the bag. "Come on. We still have a long run ahead of us."

_Run, run, run. _Leif grumbled as Garm shifted. _That's all I seem to do these days._

_That and have mental breakdowns. _Kekoa commented, having caught the last thought now that Leif was no longer blocking them as completely.

_Stuff it fish. _Leif snapped with more venom than was normal. Garm sighed a bit and started running. It seems like Leif wasn't quite over it yet, but then what did they expect?

* * *

**A little insight here into Leif's freak out. Poor Garm, he was almost certain he was walking to his death there. But really he _was _the only one who could talk Leif down from there. Leif's still pissed but at least he's talking to them again.**


	10. Chapter 10

~~~*~~~

"Alright, explain yourselves." Kekoa said folding his arms across his chest.

The three younger Merse exchanged an uneasy look before the leader floated a bit closer to the ancient. "W-well, Sir, it's just…things aren't like they were back when you went to sleep." He said uneasily.

"Yes, that's apparent." Kekoa replied dryly. "Why would any pod leave three as young as yourselves to wander around unprotected? A kraken would love to get its beak on three young Merse."

"Nobody's seen a kraken in centuries!" The only female said quickly.

Kekoa's milky eyes hardened. "That's no excuse. There are still sharks I've seen them myself." _Though, no shark would attack a group of Merse…much less physically mature ones…_He admitted to himself. "So why have you been left to wander the oceans without supervision?"

"We're the only ones of our pod left." The last youth said quietly.

Kekoa jerked in surprise. "What happened to them?"

"Humans." The leader grumbled.

"They've been dumping things in the ocean for years now. We're getting sick all the time. Sharks and Orca pick us off once we get weak enough." The female explained. "All the ancient races have been having troubles like that." She added absently.

Kekoa's eyes narrowed. "If you're pod has been killed then why did another not take you in?"

"Haven't seen another." The leader supplied with a shrug.

_Did you hear that, Phai? _Kekoa asked.

It took a minute before Phai's voice drifted through Kekoa's mind. _For once, I must say that I didn't. What is it? _Kekoa quickly relayed what the children had told him and there were several minutes of measured silence. _I see. Bring them with you, Kekoa. They seem to know more about the situation than we do, at least._

Kekoa frowned at their unofficial leader's decision but turned back to the children nonetheless. "What are your names?" He asked studying them carefully.

"Noelani." The girl said. She pointed to the leader of their group who had a strong resemblance to herself. "That's Akamu and the quiet one is Pika."

Kekoa nodded. "Well then, come with me."

"With you?" Akamu echoed bewildered.

"Yes, have you three ever been to the surface?" The three youths shook their heads. "Well then, you're about to get your first glimpse of it. Let's go." Kekoa said before starting to rise through the water again. The threesome exchanged a long look and the Akamu darted after the Ancient. Noelani and Pika were right behind him.

Hundreds of miles away, in the depths of an ice glacier, a deep rumble shook the snow from its place. The ice spiderwebbed as the rumbling grew stronger and stronger amidst the deadly still snow banks. Finally the glacier shattered apart, sending tiny fragments of ice flying into the distance at dangerous speeds.

As the fragments from the glacier fell and the bit of snow settled an extremely large polar bear shook its fur free of the ice crystals that lingered there. Slowly the bear straightened to stand on powerful hind legs. The bear started changing, growing thinner and sleeker as it stood there.

The white fur receded into pale skin as the bear continued to shrink. The sound of cracking bones and cartilage filled the windswept landscape. The pure white fur that was left slowly reformed into primitive clothing as the bulk of the bear started to take on a more human shape.

Finally a woman with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes like twin flecks of ice was standing amid the snow. The freezing wind didn't even raise a single Goosebumps over her bare arms or stomach.

She took a slow survey of the barren tundra before beginning to walk. Her white fur boots blended into the snow as she easily walked around larger chunks of ice. Light tan leather pants clung to her like a second skin while the white fur was repeated on the top she wore. Cut to end just below her breasts and hang from one shoulder it showed far more skin than one would expect considering the temperatures around her.

_Ishild! You're up finally…_

_I am. _She answered Raidne's enthusiasm with a cool monotone.

_Good! We're outnumbered by the men! _Raidne said in mock horror.

_Well, then we shall have to rectify the situation. _Ishild replied.

Leif snorted slightly. _Rectify the situation, will you? Hoe do you plan on doing that?_

_You shall see. _Was Ishild's answer.

_Bring it on, Yeti. _Garm challenged.

Ishild barely made any hint of having found humor in Garm's joking. Only the barest flicker of light crossed her eyes. _How nostalgic. _

_Enough. Ishild, come to Karpatiia. That is where we are meeting. _Phai said, her voice brimming with authority.

_I am on my way. _Ishild replied as she continued walking on the thin layer of ice above the several feet of snow.

After breaking off with the others, Phai turned her attention to her own task. She could feel Garm and Leif much closer than before. Awyn also was closing in on _Karpatiia_ fast. Kekoa and Raidne and now Ishild would all take varying lengths of time, none of them would reach her before tomorrow.

Though Raidne was closer than Awyn she couldn't move nearly as quickly. Kekoa now had three youths slowing down his travels and Ishild had just risen. But Phai could no longer wait for the others to arrive. She could feel the darkness moving in quickly. They had to act now.

Phai materialized -sitting on a stone bench- in the corner of Mikhail's garden where several other _Karpatii _had gathered. At first they didn't seem to notice her sitting there. "How unskilled you have become to not notice me." She said, deliberately drawing their attention.

"Phai?" Raven's eyes were wide with shock as were the other women who recognized her.

"Hello again. I had such fun last time I decided to return and have another chat. But this time I thought, instead of pretending to not know what each other were, we'd just cut to the chase." Phai said her eyes flashing emerald green in the moonlight. "Tell me, who exactly is this Xavier character?"

* * *

**Holy Hand-grenades Batman! It's another Ancient! Yeti's exist I say! THEY DO! **


	11. Chapter 11

~~~*~~~

The female _Karpatii _were instantly pushed behind the men as Mikhail stepped closer to Phai. "You are Carpathian…but I do not recognize you."

"None of us do." One of a pair of dark twins added.

"That's hardly surprising." Phai replied. "According to my calculations it has been at least eighteen centuries since I was last awake. The sarcophagus you found was mine. Truthfully, I was not expecting to be awakened at all but you called and I answer as I am sworn to do."

"We did not call you." Mikhail denied.

Phai smiled a bit though there was no humor in the gesture. "No? Then perhaps you can tell me why I'm awake." She said getting to her feet. The men tensed slightly. "Are you going to insist on a history lesson?"

"An explanation _would_ be nice." Raven said from behind Mikhail.

Phai sighed and nodded a bit. "Very well, but it will take some doing and once I've finished I expect you to answer the question that you ignored." She said giving them a pointed look. "Let us start at the beginning…The Council of Ancients, of which I am a member."

In the distance, a wolf howled out only to be answered by the screeching roar of a large cat. "Ah, good, they made excellent time."

"Who?" Mikhail asked suspiciously.

"My friends." Phai said as she turned to face the tree line a few feet away. A moment later a man walked out of the trees wearing only a pair of jeans and bag slung over his shoulder. "Garm, you look well."

Garm frowned a bit. "I'd have been here sooner if I didn't have to chase a certain cat all over the hills." The large jaguar hissed slightly as he slunk out of the shadow of the trees.

"Enough, you two. I've just begun to explain things and I'd really rather not mediate between you. Just sit there and try not to do something moronic." Phai said pointing to the stone bench.

"I'm never moronic." Garm protested.

_Yeah, and I'm a tame house cat. _Leif commented.

Phai cast them an icy look and the two males instantly quieted. "As I'm sure you've noticed my friends are not _Karpatii_. Garm is Lycanthrope and Leif is of course Jaguar." She said turning back to her people. "They also are members of the Council of Ancients."

Phai paused but none of the other _Karpatii _interrupted. "There are ten races that are considered 'Ancient'. Each of these ten races have a member on the Council. Those races are: _Karpatii, _Lycanthrope, Jaguar, Merse, Avariel, Mage, Nydiea, Sirens, Nagri, and Yetin. I of course represent _Karpatii _interests in the Council."

"I haven't even heard of most of those so-called Ancient races." One of the males Phai didn't know the name of said.

Garm scoffed. "Of course, because you know _oh so much._ What are you? Three hundred? Three-fifty?"

"Garm please." Phai said casting him a quick glance. Garm scowled but obediently quieted. The ancient woman turned back to her people. "We have noticed that many of these races have diminished. _Karpatii _themselves have diminished as I'm sure you've noticed. We cannot explain it any more than you can. But we know where we are from and that is all we can claim."

_Ask them about the Xavier person, Phai. _Leif urged.

"I already did. They insisted on a history lesson first." Phai replied.

"This Council…what is it for?" Gregori asked curiously.

"Protection." Garm answered.

Phai nodded in agreement. "All of the Ancient Races were once a part of the same whole. However over the centuries the Origin Race split apart into several others. This was partly due to traitors of the Origin Race who worked to seize control. Every race has its traitors. On occasion these traitors gained power and in order to gain control of the world attempted coups. The Council was created to combat such a threat."

"The deal was; we would sleep if or until we were needed." Garm added. "So we scattered to cover the Earth as fully as possible. I was in…where was it called? America or something…"

"Yes, or 'The States' to use common slang phraseology." Phai answered.

Garm nodded and stretched out across the bench. "Yes, and it was rather crowded too…don't know if I liked it much…"

Phai ignored the comment and turned back to her people. "I believe one of your hunters was chasing Leif here." Phai said gesturing to the cat that was curled up under the stone bench. "All the way from Brazil."

Leif yawned widely. _Like he could find me…_

Garm smiled a bit and Phai rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're very clever, now go back to sleep."

"Before you said we called you." Mikhail prompted. "What did you mean by that?"

Phai shrugged a bit. "When two ancient bloodlines come together in desperation an ancient compulsion is activated and we are called to waken. I'm not entirely certain _when _it happened but I assure you it did."

"We assume it was two _Karpatii _lines since Phai was the first of us to waken." Garm added. "There are few lines that would call to us to waken. Not many can be traced back to ancient times."

"Your own, Mikhail, would be one such bloodline." Phai said nodding to the Prince slightly. "I recognize it even after all these centuries."

Silence seeped into the clearing as the younger beings digested the information that they had just been given. It was…incredible but not impossible. Except for one small detail… "Jaguars do not live for centuries." Gregori stated after a moment.

"No, they don't." Phai agreed with the slightest hint of a smile. "In fact, they are luck to live a single full century. Lycanthropes are not much better off either. But we were able to…work around such limitations."

"Spells and witchery." Garm supplied from where he was reclined across the bench lazily.

Phai nodded in agreement. "It was all in the method in which we chose to wait for our call. While sleeping we were able to preserve them as they were. Freezing time until the spells were broken by their awakening. It took us years to get right. Myself and several mages worked on the problem."

"It tingles…" Garm offered.

_'Specially when you wake up… _Leif added.

"You survived it didn't you?" Phai asked annoyed.

"Well, yes…but we can still complain can't we?" Garm asked innocently.

"Only if you don't mind the consequences." Phai replied sweetly. "Now be quiet and let me finish or leave. Honestly, you're acting like two children."

"Well…compared to you…" He was silenced by an icy glare. "Sorry, Phai…"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I absolutely adore Garm and Leif...they are so much fun to write. Mostly dialogue here but I had to finish up the conversation so that meant talking...**

* * *

~~~*~~~

"As I was saying…" Phai said after having silenced the two males with a sharp look. "The Council is made up of ten members. Including myself, seven have already woken from their slumber. Three are here before you the other four on their way. So I believe I've fulfilled your little history lesson. Now, answer my question of 'Who is Xavier?'"

The Carpathians shifted a bit, still trying to readjust to the sudden increase in what they had apparently been lacking for so long. "Best to answer her." Garm said suddenly. "She gets cranky."

"I am _not _cranky." Phai denied.

_You sound cranky. _

"No one asked you, Leif." Phai pointed out.

"Why…" Mikhail started uncertainly. "Would our ancestors use a female and not a hunter to guard our race?"

Phai scoffed. "Like men are at all sensible." Several women, Raven included, stifled a laugh. "Besides, the length of time we were dealing with would have left a male completely vulnerable to the darkness. The last thing we need is for our protector to turn. And don't even suggest sending a mated pair because it was decided that mated pairs were needed where they were."

"But you could have been a lifemate to one of the ancients that turned!" One of the younger males protested.

Phai's eyes hardened into emerald ice. "I have only one Lifemate. And my Dearest has already departed from this world. You would do well to remember that Fledgling."

"Then…why haven't you joined him?" Shea asked lacing her fingers through her own Lifemate's.

"I am Dragonseeker. And I have a duty to perform." Phai answered proudly.

Garm stirred slightly. "Only those who have lost everything can protect those who have everything to lose." Phai nodded in agreement. "That was the oath we took eighteen centuries ago and through our blood we will hold to our word."

_Whooo, a shiver run down my spine… _Leif said shifting a bit in his spot. _That was nostalgic. _

"Indeed it was." Phai agreed. "Now, I will answer no more questions without my first being answered."

Mikhail nodded the three ancients had been remarkably patient with the barrage of questions. "Xavier is a wizard who has been attempting to destroy our race. He kidnapped a Dragonseeker female and forced her to bear his children. Now he has joined forces with the Malinov brothers, a group of Vampires who long ago plotted to overthrow my Father."

"They've gathered an army of Vampires and human slaves and attack us through ever means possible. They even attacked our unborn children." A woman baring several human weapons added.

"That's it?" Garm asked. "We were summoned for a single wizard and a few Vampires? By the powers! How on Earth could an entire race not be able to handle this?"

"Garm. Silence yourself before I do it for you." Phai said without turning to look at him. "But, loath as I am to admit it…Garm does have a point. Why has the situation deteriorated so very much that you were desperate for help?"

"We had thought all the Wizards dead. He was acting from the shadows for a very long time we only recently realized Xavier was still alive." Gregori answered.

Phai nodded a bit. "That would make a slight amount more sense." She closed her eyes as she thought for a minute. Then she reopened them and studied the woman bearing the arsenal of weapons. "You are Dragonseeker." She stated.

The woman nodded not seeming too surprised that Phai had zeroed in on her and her bloodline. "Natalya."

Phai inclined her head slightly. "Tell me then, Natalya. Do you know of the Dragonseeker that this Xavier captured?"

Natalya looked off to the side awkwardly. "She was my Grandmother."

"I see." Phai –noting the tension that had built with that single question- didn't ask anything more on the subject. She wandered a few steps away looking thoughtful. A moment later she turned to face them again. "The best way to fight a wizard –I have found- is with another wizard." She stated after a long moment.

"Too bad ours is yet to awaken." Garm commented.

"Then perhaps it is time to make him wake up." Phai said thoughtfully. She turned suddenly, eyes landing on the Jaguar under the stone bench. "Leif, my darling, where did Andamion say he was going to be putting his little magic filled head?"

Leif let out a Jaguar's huff of a laugh. _Asia somewhere._

Phai nodded. "Then I suppose I shall have to travel to Asia…I wonder how the scenery has changed…" She turned back to the younger Carpathians with a half smile. "Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long to wake him. And Leif and Garm move far too slow so I'll be leaving them here should you need help before I get back."

"Hey, we are not slow!" Garm protested.

_And why are we the babysitters? You know I'm not good with kids!_

"You're not good with anybody." Garm said dryly.

"Enough you two." Phai said before Leif could spout off his next retort. "I shouldn't be gone long. So behave. Don't kill anyone I wouldn't." Her form shimmered like glass before shattering into a rainbow of droplets and streaming across the sky. The droplets came together and formed a huge black falcon before disappearing behind a wispy cloud.

_I would pay to see her wake up, Andamion._

Garm nodded in agreement. "It should be a display of epic proportions. Lightening and earthquakes galore. Too bad we're always left behind…"

_So unfair… _Leif said looking up at the sky. After a minute he stretched and yawned loudly. _Well…I think I'm going to go-_

"No!" Garm interrupted instantly. "You just stay here."

_But-_

"No." Garm said again pointing to the large cat warningly. "Every time you decide to 'explore' we get into trouble. So just…stand there!"

Leif growled a bit and sat back on his haunches. _Stupid overbearing mutt…_


	13. Chapter 13

~*~*~*~

Raidne remained invisible as she entered the small town on the outskirts of the Carpathians. The problem with spending so much time asleep was that she'd fed half a dozen times and was still hungry. And Phai would definitely put a restriction on her once they were within a few miles of each other. So she'd have to get in a few more stops before arriving in the small village that had sprung up around Phai's sleeping spot.

Raidne positioned herself on the outskirts of a park and removed the invisibility. With the moonlight as bright as it was she seemed to glow. With a gentle sweep of her hand a heavy mist rolled across the ground for almost a foot. Satisfied she turned to face the buildings across from the park and opened her mouth.

Silvery notes of an entrancing song left her mouth, calling to the humans. She didn't have to sing for very long as a man with a large mustache ambled out of his house and came towards the park. Raidne focused her song on him, allowing the others that had heard her inside their homes to go about their business.

The man wasn't wearing any shoes and had the distinctly hazy look in his eyes of someone who was high. But Raidne knew that he wasn't…well not in the conventional sense anyway. He was completely enthralled by her voice. Nobody, not even _Karpatii, _could use his or her voices as effectively as a Siren could. After all, Sirens had been the ones to first come up with the art of using their voices instead of their fists. They'd taught a few of the other species the basics but the Sirens were still the Masters of it.

The man had finally stumbled to Raidne's side. Raidne smiled a bit and the man seemed to melt with pleasure. Was it just her? Or were humans getting easier and easier to manipulate? Oh well, it hardly mattered.

Raidne leaned close to the man. "Kiss me." She whispered.

He complied instantly crushing his mouth across hers in an overexcited kiss. Raidne wrapped her arms around the man's neck and inhaled. The man froze instantly as energy and life force drained out of him and into Raidne.

Raidne pulled away as the man collapsed in a heap at her feet. _Did you really have to kill him, Raidne? _Awyn asked sounding vaguely annoyed, which was odd for him.

_Of course I did. _Raidne replied as she started walking again. _Would you have preferred me to leave him as a useless shell doomed to always pine away for me? _She asked.

_You can remove memories just as easily as any. He would not have had to remember. _Awyn said.

Raidne scoffed slightly. _You think it easy. Such a connection of sharing your essence with someone cannot be forgotten. The act I could blur away but the deed cannot be changed. It is either death there or being alone the rest of their lives._

_I think you underestimate them. _Awyn said.

Raidne rolled her eyes. _Ever the optimist. Leif, tell Awyn I'm right._

Leif raised his head from where he was lounging across Mikhail's couch. _You're right?_

_Of course I am. _They could hear the pout in her voice. _I always am._

_Could have fooled me. _Leif replied before yawning loudly.

_Hmph, no one asked you. _Raidne stated.

Leif gave a jaguar's laugh. _You did ask me, Banshee. _Leif then turned his attention to the rest of the room. The majority of the males had left to go hunting but had left Gregori and one of his brothers Gabriel to protect the women who had been interrogating Garm with their own questions for the past half hour.

"Do your women help fight?" Raven asked curiously.

"Why wouldn't they?" Garm asked just as curious. He was sitting on the ground with his back against the couch that Leif was laying on while the _Karpatii _were spread out around the room. Though it didn't escape the Ancient's attention that the two males were placed in distinctly protective positions around the room.

"Well, they don't let us help them in a fight." Shea said pointing to Gregori who was closer than Gabriel.

Leif huffed a bit. _Women Jaguar are scarier than any male… _he commented. _Though they can't really compete physically._

"You've never fought a female Jaguar." Garm said blandly.

_It's common sense. _Leif argued. _They're just not as strong._

"No, but I'm sure they're smarter." A spunky blonde named Jaxon quipped.

"That's a very good point." Garm agreed. "Plus they have a hell of a lot more anger that'll build up…unless of course you correct us oh wise one." Garm said casting Leif a glance.

_I'll let you stew in your ignorance. _Leif replied before curling up tighter and promptly falling asleep.

"How long do you think it will take Phai to reach your wizard friend?" Gregori asked as the women thought up their next question.

Garm shrugged and reached up to scratch Leif's head. The Jaguar purred his enjoyment loudly. "Chances are it will take Phai at least two days to get close to Andamion. Then to locate his actual resting place will take, I'd think, another day or so. From there it's just a matter of returning, though Andamion moves slow."

_Unless Phai takes dragon shape. _Leif commented. _That'd speed things up considerably. _

Garm nodded in agreement. "I'd expect that's how she'll return is through dragon shape. But still, four days seems a likely time frame. And Awyn should be here by tomorrow. Flying is faster than running after all."

_Or swimming. _Leif added thinking of their Merse friend and his new job as babysitter for three youths. _It'll take Kekoa at least two days to get to a close shoreline and he moves so slow over land…_

"Why are you all coming here?" Gabriel asked from his spot against the doorframe.

"Seemed the thing to do at the time." Garm said with another shrug. "Besides, Fearless Leader told us to."

"Fearless Leader?" Gregori asked with a frown. "Who's that?"

Garm and Leif exchanged a look before the Lycanthrope turned to face them again. "Phai, of course." He answered as if it were obvious.


	14. Chapter 14

~*~*~*~

It was midday, or a little past, when a large white falcon swooped down and landed on the windowsill of the Dubrinsky Mansion. The safeguards crackled and the falcon had to jump into the air to avoid being burned. The bird cried out indignantly as it quickly flapped backwards.

After a moment the window opened and Garm looked out. "Ah, I thought I smelled a barbequed bird." He said with a smile.

_I was not injured. _Awyn said.

"You'd think after all these years you'd have learned to not land unannounced at a _Karpatii _home. Come in already, Awyn." Garm said stepping back so that the large bird could fly into the study where he landed on the headrest of a large wingchair.

_So, I could have been more careful, it would take more than a single safeguard to injure me for any length of time. _Awyn replied before hopping down to the armrest of the chair. _I take it the Karpatii are sleeping then?_

Garm nodded. "I'm actually rather surprised they didn't demand we leave their home but I suppose these are different times than what we are used to."

_Where is Leif? _Awyn asked as his body started to change. The sound of cracking bones and stretching muscles filled the library as the bird slowly shifted into the winged man.

The lycanthrope sighed a bit. "He left this morning. You know how he gets when he's upset. Promised he'd be back before sunset though. For whatever that's worth." Garm said as he took a seat on the couch.

"So he's still pouting then." Awyn said looking out the window. "I feel sorry for him. Having to deal with his fear of confinement after all this time."

Garm shrugged a bit. "It is what it is. We could no more change the circumstances that we could when it first happened. But don't worry, Leif will be fine. He always is, after all."

"Any word from the others?" Awyn asked glancing around the library carefully.

"Kekoa's been complaining all day about the children that he's with. Raidne…well, its Raidne after all. She complains about everything. And Ishild is being her usual quiet self. Don't expect to hear anything from her until she's here." Garm answered as he lay down across the couch casually.

Suddenly both of the Ancients looked up and to the East. They could feel a rumble of something waking up. The two of them exchanged a look and Garm smiled a bit. "And that would be Afalia waking up."

Deep in one of the few bamboo forests left another rumble shook the ground and scared all of the creatures from the area. Slowly several bundles of bamboo cracked and began to weave themselves together. The ground rumbled again as the roots of the bamboo pulled themselves from the earth.

Finally a girl about twelve or thirteen was standing amid the torn ground and twisted bamboo. She looked around with yellow eyes. Her short green hair framed a wholly innocent face as she smiled widely. She held out a hand and the leaves of the nearby bamboo shivered in greeting. "Hello my dears." She whispered to them.

_Afalia! _Leif cried in her mind. _I was hoping you'd wake up soon!_

_Leif! I've missed you! _Afalia replied before spinning on her bare heel. As she spun the leaves from the nearby plants began to whirl around her until they formed a rough semblance of a sundress.

_Afalia, I am going to wake up Andamion. He is in-between you and Karpatiia, our meeting place. You are welcome to join me should you so desire. _Phai said offered. _At least then you would have an easy trip to where the others are._

The young-looking ancient frowned a bit as she considered. _Okay, I'll meet you there. _She said before starting to make her way through the bamboo. The plants bent and twisted as she passed by, leading her towards the edge of their forest. The creatures that had fled while she woke were slowly starting to come back.

Suddenly Afalia burst into a run, her image blurring slightly at the amount of speed that she was using. Her bare feet didn't make even the slightest indent on the moist ground and she was virtually soundless as she ran. The plants swayed slightly as she ran past.

Afalia came to a sudden stop and peered down a small cliff at where a small camp had been made by what looked to be poachers of some sort. Her mouth curled into a small smile and she spread her energy out to the nearby plants. The plants creaked and groaned as she urged them to grow larger. The humans looked around uneasily as the forest continued to make strange noises caused by their sudden growth spurt.

Afalia jumped down and landed in front of the men. "Hello there." She said happily. The two men exchanged bewildered looks. "You're not supposed to be doing that." She added pointing to where an animal skin was stretched out on a wooden frame.

The men got to their feet clearly not intent on having anything peaceful happening since they grabbed their weapons. Afalia tilted her head in confusion at the strange tube-like things. "What are those?" She asked curiously. "I don't recognize them from before…"

Suddenly there was an explosion and Afalia jerked backwards. She frowned and looked down at her chest, which had a large hole in it. Thick green liquid oozed out of the wound and Afalia looked back up with an angry expression. "That's not nice at all."

The forest exploded in a flurry of action. More of the loud shots echoed through the bamboo followed a moment later by screams of horror and pain. The screams continued for several minutes until the forest fell eerily silent. The bamboo creaked and groaned as Afalia began to continue on her way through the forest.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I have been so incredibly busy you have NO idea...anyway, here's another Dark Alliance...next on my list is Dark Intent...hopefully I'll be able to get to that fairly soon...**

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"I take it you three have never breathed air before." Kekoa said once they had reached only a few hundred feet below the surface of the water.

"That's right." Akamu said. All three youngsters had their eyes narrowed at the much brighter light then they were used to having. It took them much longer to adjust to the changes than Kekoa could.

Kekoa sighed a stream of water and turned to look at them. "It will be very unpleasant at first. Your lungs have to empty themselves of water before they can inhale air. And you will find it's hard to speak at first because it is so much dryer than you are used to. Just remember to concentrate on breathing through your nose and not your mouth. If you can't manage to empty your lungs in a minute get back under the water and try again. Don't suffocate yourselves."

"Right." Noelani said with a nod. She was definitely the most outgoing of the three and the most willing to learn as well.

It only took them a few moments to break the surface of the water and Kekoa instantly forced the water from his lungs in a strange, heaving motion. He gasped in air and coughed a bit to clear the rest of the water from his lungs. It took the children several tries to clear their lungs of enough water to breath normally and they were still hacking several minutes after they managed it. "How can they breath this?" Akamu said in a strangled voice.

"How can we breath water?" Kekoa asked back. "It is simply our nature." He said as he waited for the children to adjust to their first experience with breathing air. He smiled a bit as they clearly wanted to duck back under water. "Whatever you do, don't let your lungs fill back up with water…or you'll just have to do that again. Hold your breath if you go back under. But that takes some skill so I'd suggest just keeping your heads above the surface so that you won't forget." He said as he started swimming slowly towards shore.

The three youngsters followed him, though at a much slower pace as they were staring up at the starry sky with a bit of awe. "What are those shiny things?" Noelani asked softly.

"Stars." Kekoa answered.

"Remind me of angler lights." Akamu commented.

"Mm, well come along, we are still quite a distance from shore. It will take a while to reach it. Practice your breathing." Kekoa said as he led the way towards the shoreline.

In Mikhail's home Raven's eyes widened in shock. "Who are you?"

"What are you?" Shea asked a mere second later.

Awyn looked over and smiled a bit, waving to the _Karpatii_ standing in the doorway. "Hello. I'm Awyn." He said standing from his seat as Garm smirked a bit. "I arrived this afternoon. And to answer your question, I am Avariel."

"Bird-boy here is the source of all those Angel myths and what not." Garm supplied.

"Not me in particular but my people, yes." Awyn corrected. Raven was still eyeing his wings with a bit of trepidation. "Ah, I'd remove my wings but they are very painful to regrow…and I'd prefer it if I didn't have to do it." He said noticing her looks.

"Plus, it's messy." Garm said. "Blood and feathers get _everywhere_."

The female _Karpatii_ nodded slightly and came into the room to wait for their lifemates to return from hunting. "Where is Leif?" Shea asked looking around for any sign of the large ancient jaguar.

Garm huffed a bit in annoyance. "Pouting. He went out hunting and hasn't returned…despite promising to be back before sunset." He said scowling at the window as if it had done something to delay his friend's arrival. "Stupid cat…he's going to get Phai mad at us again…I don't like being hit by lightening. It hurts."

"You could go out and look for him." Awyn suggested softly. "Chances are he's just forgotten his promise. You know how he gets when he's hunting. And he's so excited now that Afalia has woken."

Garm sighed a bit and nodded. "Perhaps I should. Maybe I can again apologize to him for that incident with the plane."

"What plane?" Raven asked curiously.

"We had to take one to cross the sea faster…it was not enjoyable." Garm explained getting to his feet and stretching. "I could use a run anyhow. I'll go see if I can't find the dratted cat." He said heading towards the French doors. "Maybe Awyn here can regal you all with the stories of him learning to fly." He added as he left the room.

Awyn scowled a bit. "You promised never to mention that again!" He called as the Lycan ran towards the forest.


	16. Chapter 16

There was a knocking on the front door to the Dubrinsky manor. Awyn looked over at the females. "Were you expecting someone?" Raven shook her head and quickly made her way towards the front door, the other females trailing behind her. Suddenly, Awyn was there in front of her, his image shimmering with white lights and his wings simply fading out of sight. "Allow me. I must keep up with the other males and their protective natures, after all."

"Hmph, men." Shea crossed her arms over her chest and scowled slightly.

"I would not like to be de-winged by a very unhappy Phai," Awyn replied with a small smile. He turned and opened the door. Though he did not block the entire frame as one of the Carpathians would have, he still cut an imposing image in the space.

On the other side of the frame, Ishild stood with a blank expression. Surprise crossed Awyn's face before he stepped to the side and let the female through. "How did you get here so fast, Ishild?" Awyn closed the door and let the illusion hiding his wings slowly fall.

"The mountain tops are easy terrain for one of my kind," she replied simply, her voice filled with chilly indifference that reminded the Carpathian women far too much of their single males.

"That really doesn't answer the question, you realize." Awyn led the way back to the living room where there was enough room to accommodate all of them. "Did you even stop to eat?" he questioned turning to look the pale woman over with an appraising look.

"No. It was hardly necessary." Ishild didn't sit, but wandered the living room studying the different objects with emotionless eyes.

Awyn's eyes widened. "Ishild! It's been eighteen centuries! Even you have to feed eventually! And to get here so quickly you must have had to travel nonstop from the time you woke."

"If the situation is dire enough to awaken us in the first place the time it would take to feed could be better spent," Ishild replied with cold logic.

"We will need you at full strength, Ishild," Awyn's voice suddenly took on a more commanding tone and his feathers rustled as he shifted to his full height. "You will go out and feed before you fall down dead from starvation."

Ishild turned to face the other ancient and the room dropped several degrees in mere seconds, causing the Carpathians to shiver. No emotion passed across Ishild's face but the other women could feel the tension as the temperature continued to drop. Awyn's feathers ruffled again but he stood his ground. "Do not presume to order me to do anything, Awyn. An oath brother you may be, but you do not hold any other sway over my life."

Awyn's eyes narrowed slightly. "I will call to Phai."

The statement seemed to have no impact. Her glacier-like eyes didn't so much as shimmer with though. Suddenly she moved walking to within inches of Awyn's face so that their noses were almost touching. Ishild's boots crunched on frost that had appeared on the carpet. "Ever so pure, Awyn. Even after all these years you manage to vex me."

A small smile tugged the corner of Awyn's mouth. "Go feed, Yetin."

"I will do so when I feel like it and not a moment before or after," she said as she turned and sat in a nearby chair. The fire slowly brought the temperature of the room back towards something more normal for the time of year. Awyn's posture relaxed slightly.

Raven cleared her throat politely, "I don't think we've been introduced, I'm Raven Dubrinsky."

"Ishild," the female ancient supplied.

"Don't mind her. She's dreadfully antisocial. I believe it has been equated to trying to talk with a glacier," Awyn said relaxing even more. "All of her people are like that. Not enough emotion within all of them to fill a bread box."

Ishild's eyebrow shot up but the motion didn't seem to affect her eyes at all. "I would refrain from continuing down this particular avenue of discussion if I were you, Awyn. Where are Leif and Garm?" She asked turning her head to look out the nearest window that had still a bit of fog clinging to the panes. As soon as she stopped moving her entire body seemed to become completely still, as if frozen in place.

"I am not certain. Leif went hunting," he gave Ishild a pointed look "and when he failed to return before sunset, Garm went out to look for him." Awyn closed his eyes for a moment. "It would be best to let them come back on their own I feel. You know how those two can get." Ishild made a single noise of agreement.

It wasn't difficult for Garm to locate Leif. The jaguar wasn't being as stealthy as he could have been but neither were worried. Garm came to a stop by the deer that the jaguar was laying by, cleaning his paw and purring. _You look satisfied._ Garm padded over and lay down next to the large cat, his lupine head resting across Leif's shoulders.

Leif purred louder. _It has been a long sleep._

_It has. _Garm agreed. _I am sorry for upsetting you before, Leif._

_…I know._ Leif's voice was quiet in Garm's head. Leif stopped in his cleaning and turned to look down at Garm's muzzle. _What right did they have to do such things, Garm?_

_They did not have any right, _enki. Garm said instantly.

Leif froze in surprise. Slowly, he relaxed and turned his head away. _It has been a long time since you called me that._

_I know. But that is what you are and always will be. _Garm lifted his head and moved so that he could look at Leif more directly. _Run with me, Leif. It will make you feel better to do so._

_Will it?_

_Trust me. _Garm said getting to his feet and trotting a few steps ahead.

Leif stared for a moment before getting to his feet as well. _That has never been an issue, Garm._ He took a few steps before suddenly sprinting ahead a low growl-like purr building in his throat.


	17. Chapter 17

"Here." Kekoa pulled himself up onto the rocks and the three children instantly mimicked his actions. "Separating your tail into legs is really quite simple. Even if walking is not. Our bodies have no bones like a whale does. So it is easier to reconfigure our tails."

"Is this why we have two sets of spine after our hips?" Noelani asked curiously. She had never understood that part of their physiology. Their spines broke into two identical columns that ran parallel down the length of their tail.

Kekoa nodded. "Just use your mind to separate the two columns and them fuse them together into bones like in our arms. Try not to forget to include feet."

"What are feet?" Pika asked quietly.

Kekoa sighed, "Let me go first and I'll show you." Kekoa closed his eyes and focused all of his attention of his lower body. Merse were not nearly as adept at shape shifting as some of the other species. It took all of their attention to do and they could only manage a few things such as legs and changing their body density to adjust for the deep sea.

Slowly there was a strange sound of rubber being stretched and Kekoa's tail split up the middle and shortened to the length of a human leg. Once he had separated his tail he focused his attention to the vertebrae running down each limb. Slowly he fused them into the proper bone shapes and carefully formed feet. He didn't bother with forming human reproductive organs and simply pushed his own to the side until he retook his true form.

He opened his eyes and saw the children staring at his new legs with wide eyes. "Go ahead and try it. If you need help ask. Don't go trying to keep forming the legs if you don't know what to do next. You'll end up with misshapen things."

Kekoa watched carefully as they changed their tails. It took most of the night but he would rather make certain they had it right before worrying about other things. Once they had formed legs the much more arduous task of learning to walk took place. The children quickly found it wasn't as easy as it looked. They'd never had to keep their own balance before.

While they were practicing their walking, Kekoa hurried off to a nearby home and stole some coats and pants that would help disguise them. Kekoa could blur their appearance but not turn them completely invisible. The last thing they needed was to be identified by the humans.

It was midmorning before Kekoa deemed them good enough at walking to start for the Carpathians. He continued to steal what they needed as they went. Taking large sunglasses to protect their eyes and other such items. They'd spent so much time in the depths of the ocean they weren't used to the sun anymore. They would have to adjust slowly and until then protect themselves from the harmful rays.

_What are these strange contraptions I keep seeing? _Kekoa asked the others curiously. _The ones on the rivers of flat black rock._

_Ah, they are called 'cars', _Garm supplied.

_Rather like chariots or carriages but without the horses._ Phai added.

_How do they work?_ Kekoa asked, liking the idea of not having to walk all the way to the Carpathians.

_I'm not sure._ Garm said. _I never bothered to check it out._

Kekoa grumbled a bit at that and kept walking. He made sure to make as straight a line as he could to his destination. He wished he could move faster across land but these things couldn't be changed. He couldn't fly after all.

Phai swooped low over an ancient ruin in the depths of the jungle. This had been a monastery at one point. It would serve well for a place to rest out the night. She retook her true form as she landed and surveyed the half standing building with care. Ancient carvings decorated the walls under layers of moss and roots and tapestries were almost completely gone from rot and moths.

She mentally touched all of her oath brothers and sisters. She was surprised at Ishild already with Awyn, Garm, and Leif. She hadn't expected the Yetin to arrive nearly as soon as she had. Phai was pleased that Kekoa had finally made his way to the shore and even more pleased that Raidne was only another day's travel from their meeting place. Afalia was busy eating and Phai quickly turned her thoughts away from that. She didn't particularly want to know when the seemingly young girl was devouring flesh; just the thought made Phai gag slightly. Satisfied with what she found with those that were already awakened, Phai sat down on a pile of rubble.

Her senses fanned outwards. Finding where their Wizard was sleeping would take some effort as he had put himself to sleep and she had not been a part of it as she had with the others. He could quite literally be anywhere and quite possibly anything. Wizards were rather unpredictable like that and Phai had no idea which spells Andamion would have used to protect himself as he slept.

She was confident that she could dismantle his safeguards but she would have preferred a bit of knowledge before hand. What's more, she would have preferred for Andamion to wake himself instead of her having to go and find him. It always made things more difficult when she had to go against her original plans. Coming up with plans on a whim was more of Raidne's forte than hers. Phai was far more deliberate with what she did than the Siren.

Suddenly, a venomous hiss filled her mind and Phai's eyes snapped open and flashed green. She frowned slightly. She had wanted to be closer when Thessar woke from his slumber. He was unpredictable. She closed her eyes again and mentally searched for him.

In the heat of Africa, near Kilimanjaro, all the animals stilled with fear before fleeing back to their places of safety. The ground shifted as something beneath the parched rock uncurled and slowly started to move. Yellow eyes opened and thick scales of amber and red twitched over powerful muscles. Thessar broke through the ground and hauled himself up to the surface where the first rays of the sun were starting to settle across the dried plains.

He hissed slightly and turned his face to the sun to absorb the heat before stretching his upper body. Long braids of black tipped with copper beads fell down his bronzed back as he moved more fully out of the ground. A long powerful tail like that of a snake propelled him even further until he was fully exposed to the quickly warming air. "We are awake."

_Yes. Feed and go to where the others are meeting. Try to remain hidden if you please. _Phai's voice was a bit aloof and distant but held no less order than it had for any of the others.

A smile broke across Thessar's face and he glanced around the horizon. "Easy for you to say. You don't have a twelve foot tail." He found his prey easily. An elephant herd off in the distance. A young one shouldn't be too difficult for him to pick off for a hearty meal. His eyes narrowed and he wasted no time in burrowing back beneath the ground where he could approach undetected and travel much faster. In a matter of moments he was under the herd and racing towards the surface.

He burst out of the ground and sunk his teeth into the flesh of his target, causing instant panic. He allowed them to break free and reclaimed his safe haven under the ground as he waited for the poison in the elephant calf to bring it down for him to consume at his own pace.


End file.
